Second Chances
by Satya Kaden
Summary: They have all been out of school for a few years now. What will happen when they all come back to the reunion? **LAST CHAPTER NOW HERE** *This fic is now complete.*
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: No, I still do not own any of this stuff. It all belongs to Disney or whoever.  
In one of my reviews for "Ode To Jamie and Catie," I was asked to write a Tyler/Val fic. So, this is my honest effort towards one. Hope you like it.   
This fic is set a few years after graduation. Everyone has gone his/her separate ways.  
  
  
  
I can't believe I am doing this, Val thought to herself as she threw another pair of jeans into her suitcase. It had been so long since she had been in Kingsport. There had been no point in ever going back after all of her friends and her parents had moved away. But, now she was going back.  
  
The invitation to the reunion still lay on her dresser where she had placed it the night before. It promised 'tons of fun' and 'lots of reminiscing with old friends'. Sure, it sounds like fun until you actually get there, Val thought.  
  
No, she had not been planning on going to the reunion until she had been sitting in her last meeting of the day the day before. The vice president of Val's company had been droning on about something unimportant and Val had simply slouched in her seat and stewed over whether or not to go to the reunion. Of course, the real question on her mind was whether or not Tyler Connell would be there. And did she care?  
  
Throughout high school, there had been something between Tyler and herself that had bordered their friendship. It wasn't something that either of them had tried to capture, but it was there. Val had to admit to herself that she had really truly liked Tyler as more than a friend. And at times, she could have sworn Tyler felt the same way about her.  
  
At graduation, Tyler had promised to stay in touch with Val. But, years later, she was still waiting for the first letter or phone call to come through from him. She had lost hope after a while of ever hearing from him.  
  
And now the reunion had come up. Val's main reason for not wanting to go was obvious. She didn't want to run into Tyler there and have the same feelings between them. Or what if they didn't feel the same? Wouldn't it be awkward? Wasn't it better to just stay away and live with the memories of high school?  
  
Val had left all of her innocent aspirations behind her as she had left Kingsport. She had gone to college and had graduated with honors. Now, she was the president of her own successful business. Her life was all figured out. She didn't have time for distractions. Therefore, she didn't have time for a class reunion and Tyler Connell. Right?  
  
Val sighed as she threw another shirt into her suitcase and remembered how the meeting had seemed to go on forever the day before. It had given her enough time to remember:  
  
How Tyler had stayed at the hospital with her for hours on end when her dad had had his heart attack.........The time Tyler had given her the ugliest knickknack in the world as a good luck charm.........how he had always helped her with her algebra.................how he had always been there when she had needed him.................the dance that Val was so sure that Tyler was going to ask her to. What a surprise and disappointment it had been when he had asked Heather to it. Val had ended up staying at the EMS station that night, pretending that she couldn't care less that Tyler was probably dancing with Heather.  
  
It was about the time that the Vice president started talking marketing figures that Val had gotten the idea to go. At first, she had shrugged it off, telling herself that she didn't want to see Tyler. Didn't want to live the past over again. But, a little nagging voice at the back of her mind admitted that she was a bit curious to see what had happened to Tyler. What would he be like years after she had last seen him?  
  
I missed the homecoming dance that year because I didn't want to see Tyler with Heather, she had thought grimly. But, I can't keep sitting out on things just because of Tyler. Why sit at home and do nothing when she could go and see all her old friends again?  
  
No, Val had thought, I can still go and have fun. I don't need Tyler Connell to be there to have fun.  
  
And that is what had started it all. The invitation had stated that there would be a formal dance on Friday night and then a dinner on Saturday. Val had no problem dressing for the dinner. She could just wear one of her smart business suits. The problem came, though, with the formal dance. What to wear? After work, Val had gone on an emergency shopping trip. She had tried on dress after dress, wishing that she had not put off her decision to go for so long. Two hours, and a few shopping bags later, Val's wallet had become empty. But, she had a dress that she knew looked good and shoes to match.   
  
  
Presently, Kiandra, Val's roommate walked into Val's bedroom and flopped down on Val's bed.   
  
"So, are you going to dance with him?" She asked as she eyed the over-packed suitcase that Val was trying in vain to close. She knew the story behind Tyler and Val. Kinadra just wished she could be there when Val and Tyler saw each other for the first time after so long. Oh yes, it would be interesting to see what happened.  
  
"Kiandra, I am not going to dance with him. I mean, he probably won't even remember me."  
  
Kiandra snorted back her laughter and eyed her friend closely. Was that a hint of nervousness in her usually calm friend? "Yeah, right," she retorted. "From what you've been telling me, there is no possible way he could forget you."  
  
Val shook her head, not allowing herself to feel any pleasure at the mere thought of Tyler remembering who she was. "Well, I won't dance with him. It would just be too weird."  
  
Val finally got her suitcase to latch and then dragged it off its position on the bed. She started out of the room, lugging the heavy suitcase behind her.  
  
"I bet you five dollars that you end up dancing with him," Kiandra called from her position on the bed. "And I bet you ten more that you end up spending the whole reunion with him."  
  
"You're on!" Val called from the living room. She smiled as she thought of how easy it would be to win that bet. After all, she didn't have time for distractions, especially from Tyler Connell.  
  
..............................  
  
Tyler Connell checked into the hotel at exactly 5:00 P.M. on Friday night. The dance didn't start until eight, so he knew he had time to kill. He stood in the lobby of the hotel, debating how to kill that extra time. He could go over to the old EMS station and see how much things had changed. Hadn't he heard that one of Alex's daughters was working there now? Or he could just go visit Alex for a while.  
  
Tyler was so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't hear his name be called once and then twice. In fact, he didn't even know someone was approaching him until a perfectly manicured hand rested on his shoulder, making him jump.  
  
"Oh Tyler, didn't you hear me calling you? I must have called you a few times now."  
  
Tyler turned around slowly, knowing whom the voice belonged to and dreading to see its owner.  
  
"Heather," he said, a light smile on his face.  
  
"Oh Tyler, its been too long," Heather said, throwing herself at Tyler and enveloping him in a hug. Tyler prayed it would be over soon. A few seconds later, Heather stepped away, brushing an imaginary tear out of one eye. "We have so much catching up to do," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the chairs in the lobby.  
  
Tyler mentally groaned. So much for his visit to see Alex. Tyler tried to listen as Heather rambled on about what she had been up to for the last few years. Frankly, Tyler really didn't care. The only reason he had come to the reunion in the first place was because of one person. Val. Just thinking of her sweetness gave him a slight tremor. He had never stopped thinking about her since they had graduated. Now, he was there to see how she was doing and to give her something. Something that he had collected over the last few years. He hoped she would be there at the dance later on that night. He just couldn't wait to see her.  
  
"Tyler, we simply must go to the dance together tonight," Heather said, touching his arm again.  
  
"Um.....yeah, okay," Tyler returned, his mind not even comprehending what he had just complied to do. All he could think about was a certain blond haired girl he had had a huge crush on in high school. Yeah, he hoped Val was at the dance.  
  
.................................  
  
There were two elevators in the hotel. The hotel prided itself on the fact that the elevators were always clean and ran without any delays. But, on this particular night, the elevators were working too well. One opened its doors to the lobby just seconds before the other one. Val stepped into the elevator and pressed the "up" arrow with her index finger. At the same time, Tyler stepped out of the other elevator with Heather and headed for the front door of the hotel. Both Val and Tyler were oblivious to each other as they went on their own separate ways.  
  
..................................  
  
  
Tyler was not having fun. As soon as they had entered the crepe paper decorated gym, Heather had pulled Tyler over to where her friends stood. And he had listened as they had gone on and on, criticizing what everyone looked like that night. He turned away as one of Heather's friends made another rude comment about what someone was wearing. I know that guy, Tyler thought of the comment's victim, he was a great football player in high school.  
  
Tyler wished he could see Val at that second. With Val, he knew, he would have had fun. They would have danced and laughed. It would have been great, Tyler thought sullenly as he gazed around the gym. Everywhere he looked, couples were having fun. I wish Val were here, he thought.  
  
"Tyler," Heather said, pulling on his arm. He looked back at her expecting her to make some other obnoxious comment about someone they had known in high school.  
  
"I'm thirsty," Heather announced grandly. "You can get me some punch."  
  
"Um........okay," Tyler mumbled, surprised that Heather had turned out to be such a snob. She had always seemed so nice in school. Sure, she had seemed a bit flighty at times, but nice.  
  
Boy, was I wrong about her, Tyler thought as he crossed the gym to the punch table. He was glad to get away from Heather and her snotty friends for a few minutes. If I had known how she really was, Tyler thought, I never would have agreed to come with her tonight.  
  
Tyler reached the refreshments table and selected two cups of punch- one for Heather, and one for himself. He sighed as he turned around and started back across the gym to Heather's side. Just a few more hours, he thought glumly.   
  
And then he saw her. She stood almost in the center of the gym, her eyes darting around the room as if she were looking for someone in particular.  
  
Tyler froze, his jaw dropping open at the sight of her. For the most part, she looked the same as he remembered her. Was it possible that she could look more beautiful than he remembered her being? She was dressed in a light blue dress with those little straps that were named after some kind of pasta. Tyler could never remember the name of those kinds of straps. Her hair was pulled up behind her head, allowing a beautiful view of smooth shoulders to meet Tyler's eyes.  
  
Tyler sucked in a ragged breath just to make sure he was still alive. Man, he couldn't take his eyes away from her! It was funny how in just the space of a few seconds, Heather, the dance and everyone in the gym had disappeared. The only people left were Val and himself, it seemed.  
  
And then she looked in his direction. Her eyes found his and she smiled, her facial features softening. Tyler just about died on the spot. Why didn't I ask her out in high school, he thought scolding himself.  
  
"Here," he said, shoving the two cups of punch into the hands of a couple of girls who just happened to be walking by at that time. They both looked at him as if he were truly crazy. But then they followed Tyler's gaze and saw who he was looking at. Both girls snickered and moved on with their cups of punch. Everyone knew how much Tyler and Val liked each other. And everyone had wondered why they had not ended up together in high school.  
  
Tyler was just about to take a step towards Val when a movement out of the corner of his eye stopped him. He looked over to his left and found that he was not the only one who had noticed Val standing there. The person who had noticed Val had not changed in the way of looks either. Lean Dean looked the same and had already started his way across the floor to Val.  
  
No way, Tyler thought. There is no way he is getting to Val first this time.  
  
Tyler started across the floor towards Val, determined to make it there before Lean Dean got there.  
  
Catie Roth, who had just gotten to the reunion herself, stood near the punch table, watching as both boys discreetly raced each other over to where Val stood. "What fools these mortals be," she murmured, wondering who would get there first.  
  
  
  
Sorry it's kind of short. Please, please, please review. I am debating whether or not to keep going with this one. I thought (if I do keep it going) I'd finish the part with Tyler and Val and then have Jamie and Caite reunite. Then perhaps I'll do something with Hank. So please let me know what you think. Jeez, it seems so much easier to write about Jamie and Catie for some reason. Thanks!  
  



	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: don't own anyone IaHb related.   
Note: A big thanks to Chase for his wonderful idea of splitting up the story lines a bit by doing a different one each chapter. The first chapter was Tyler& Val. This one is Jamie and Catie. And so on.... I will eventually get back to Tyler and Val. Anyway, that was a really cool idea, Chase. Thanks!  
Okay, everyone, don't forget to review and let me know what you think.  
  
  
  
Catie Roth had not wanted to go to the reunion at all. Why go to a jock and jockette fest, she had wondered. Wouldn't it turn into a night of swapping stories about 'the big game' senior year and all that sort of stuff? If so, Catie did not want any part of it.  
  
After all, Catie had never been one to get excited about sports. In fact, in school she had even hated gym class. So why, she had wondered, would she want to go to her class reunion?   
  
She really didn't have the time to go. Her editor had told her that the next fifteen chapters had better be on his desk by Monday or else. Catie really didn't want to find out what the 'or else' stood for. She had thought that she would spend the weekend working on her chapters. It would take the whole weekend, she knew. She would probably have to stay up late at night just to get them done the way she liked before turning them in on Monday morning. But, she was willing to make that sacrifice, as she had done so many times before. Her newest book was all that mattered to her. She just wanted to stay home and get it done.  
  
Or she could use that weekend to go to the reunion.  
  
The only reason Catie had even entertained the idea of going to the reunion is because she missed Val so badly. Since college, both girls had been so busy, that they had not been able to keep in contact very well at all. Catie still got Christmas and birthday cards from her friend, but she had not seen her in person in so long.  
  
Of course, if Catie had been totally honest with herself, she would have admitted that Val was not the only person she was hoping to see at the reunion. Sure, Catie thought as she drove the rental car towards Kingsport. I'll get to see Hank and Tyler too. And.......  
  
Jamie Waite.  
  
Wasn't he the real reason she was going to the reunion? She hadn't seen Jamie since they had left for college and she missed him. She missed having him around to lighten up her day. She missed his stupid jokes. She missed his easy smile and.....................   
  
Catie gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter as she stared hard at the road before her. Jamie had always been her best friend and yet........ Sometimes, when they had been together, Catie had wished for something a bit more than just friendship from Jamie. It wasn't like she had ever tried to get to that place, though. And she had never told anyone about how much Jamie really meant to her.   
  
Now, here she was, heading back to Kingsport. Going back to her past. To Jamie. Well, hopefully, he'll be there, she thought.  
  
Truly, she wanted to see how her friend was doing. She wanted to know what he had been up to since graduation. But, she also wanted to convince herself that what she had felt in high school had just been a silly crush, nothing more. She had to convince herself that he was nothing more to her than a friend.  
  
After all, that's all he would want to be to her, wasn't it?  
  
..........................................................................  
  
Jamie Waite surveyed the grounds, watching as kids ran all over the place. Some played tag in the middle field while others lined up to start their hike for the day. Jamie smiled as he watched two little girls come dashing out of their cabin, towels grasped tightly in their little fists. On their way to the lake, Jamie thought lightly, watching as the same two girls disappeared down the carefully marked path, through the tree-line.  
  
"I have to hand it to you, Waite, you really outdid yourself this time," Mike said, coming up behind him.   
  
Jamie had known Mike since his freshman year in college. The two had roomed together and had become fast friends. It was in the first year of college that they had put together their project. It had been Jamie's idea to begin with and he had shared it with Mike one night. Mike had loved the idea and had immediately joined in on the project himself.   
  
After college, the two had spent their time putting their project onto more than just paper. And there, laid out before them on the land, was their project at work. Jamie couldn't help but feel proud as he looked around at the all of the different buildings before him. There were the arts and crafts building, the mess hall, the auditorium, and the twenty identical cabins.  
  
Back in the woods was the lake, basketball court, obstacle course and playground. Plus, the woods were cut into sections by different paths, all which eventually led back to the main camp.   
  
"I still wish we could have put in that volley ball court," Jamie murmured, his eyes on the kids playing tag.  
  
"Hey, we'll get it one of these days, man. Don't' worry about it," Mike answered.   
  
"I know," Jamie said, wishing that he had all the money in the world. Then he could really treat these kids to a great camp. Something they would remember, long after they returned to the nightmares they came from.  
  
The group playing tag, seven kids in all, rushed past Mike and Jamie, laughing all the way. Jamie smiled as he listened to the sweet tinkling of their laughter. Like wind chimes, he thought.   
  
He looked down at the ground they had just passed over and saw a beautiful golden scarf laying there. Jamie leaned down and picked the scarf up slowly, noting that the sides of it were knotted together. Straightening up, he looked at the children still playing tag just a few feet away from where he and Mike stood. Obviously, the scarf had come off of one of them.   
  
Jamie counted them quickly, noting that their number looked smaller than it had just seconds ago. Six, he thought. Where did the other one go?  
  
At that second, Jamie felt a tug on his shirt, and he looked down into the sweetest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. The little girl was so small for her age. Of course, her sickness had had a hand in that as well. The important thing was, though, that she smiled up at Jamie with a smile that put the brightest light bulb to shame.  
  
Although Jamie would never admit it, Kara was one of his favorites.  
  
"Is this yours?" He asked, holding up the scarf.  
  
Kara nodded her head. Jamie handed the scarf to her and she place it back on her head. Jamie noticed that she was very careful to cover up her baldness.  
  
"Thanks Jamie," she called before rushing off to rejoin the game of tag.  
  
His eyes lingered on the small girl, who couldn't be any more than eight or nine. How hard her life has been already, he thought sadly.  
  
Mike followed Jamie's eyes and smiled. He knew Kara was one of Jamie's favorites. He knew that his friend loved the little girl because she had suffered so much and yet, she seemed so strong. "You know," Mike started, drawing Jamie's gaze back to him, "the doctors couldn't get her to get out of bed or eat anything. She just couldn't keep anything down. Now look at her."  
  
Jamie looked back at Kara, who had just tagged someone as 'it' and was now running away, laughing hysterically.   
  
"She's running around. And I heard that she ate three whole pieces of pizza by herself last night," Mike finished, watching with satisfaction as Jamie smiled again.  
  
"Good," Jamie replied. That's what he had hoped for when he had come up with this project of his. He had wanted a place for these kids to get away from all of the doctors and hospitals and just have a chance to be....well, kids.  
  
"Hey," Mike said, suddenly, glancing at his watch. "Aren't you supposed to catch a flight soon?"  
  
"Oh jeez," Jamie said, smacking his hand against his forehead. He had almost forgotten all about the reunion. That was somewhat ironic too, since that was all he had been able to think about the whole week.  
  
There was only one reason he was going. And he suspected that that reason was trying to talk herself out of going. Would she try to convince herself that it would be a jock fest, he had wondered when he had gotten the invitation. Yet, he knew Catie and he knew that she'd be curious about what people had turned out like since school.  
  
The only thing he wondered about was whether or not she was curious about him. He wondered all the time if she thought of him as many times a day as he thought of her.  
  
Mike handed Jamie the plane ticket and laughed as his friend ran for his car. Mike knew his friend Jamie well and he knew that Jamie had not been too keen about going to the reunion. There must be a girl, Mike thought.  
  
..............................................  
  
Catie Roth, who had just gotten to the reunion, stood near the punch table, watching as both boys discreetly raced each other over to where Val stood. "What fools these mortals be," she murmured, wondering who would get there first. She smiled, knowing Val would have her hands full for the next few minutes.  
  
For just a second, she wished that a certain dark haired guy was there with her. Was she looking forward to seeing Jamie Waite? Oh yes. And after she said hi to him, she was going to punch him for not ever calling or writing her.  
  
"Still quoting Shakespeare, I see," A deep voice behind her said and Catie's smile deepened. She had been waiting..............and finally, he had come.  
  
"Jamie," she said, turning.   
  
"Hey Catie," he returned softly, looking her over. Her dark hair was pushed behind her shoulders, cascading down her back like a chocolate waterfall.   
  
Her soft black dress was cut a bit low in the front and the sequence on the front of it shimmered in the gym lights. The sleeves were cut short, showing off the milky whiteness of Catie's skin. The dress flowed down her thin body and pooled right above her feet. A thin black shawl hung over the crook of each elbow. The short fringe on the ends of it swaying in the breeze as people walked by.  
  
Jamie swallowed hard. Wow, he thought. She looked like a Goddess of the night. The phrase 'unearthly beauty' came to his mind suddenly. He smiled at her weakly.  
  
Catie returned his smile as she sized him up. His hair was still short and spiky. He wore a black suit. Wait, Catie thought. Jamie Waite in a suit? Sure enough, though, he wore a suit, complete with a black tie.   
  
"It's a loaner," Jamie explained as he watched Catie's eyes rest on his suit. In all actuality, Jamie hated to wear suits. In fact, he tried whenever possible to get out of wearing one. But, when this reunion thing had come up, he had been in a jam.   
  
He had never cared too much about what other people had thought of him in high school. That is, except for Catie. He had always cared what she had thought of him. In fact, sometimes, he had tried hard to impress her. But, that had been the past. It had been so long since they had seen each other last and Jamie didn't know what Catie would think of him now. But, for some reason that Jamie was still not comfortable to admit, he still wanted to impress her. Hence, borrowing the suit from his friend, Mike.  
  
"You look very handsome," Catie remarked, turning her eyes up to meet Jamie's gaze.  
  
Jamie smiled, knowing this was exactly what he was hoping she would say. "You look great, Catie."  
  
"Thank you," she said, and then the smile dropped from her face. "Why haven't you called me in, like, the last few years?" She asked, punching him lightly in the arm.  
  
Jamie laughed as he had expected Catie to lecture him for not staying in touch with her. It had just been too hard, what with his work and all. He had meant to keep in touch with her, but time had always seemed to slip away from him.  
  
"Hey, I've been busy," he said in his own defense.   
  
Catie scoffed and reached up to punch him in the shoulder, but he grabbed her hand. They stood there like that for minutes on end, him holding her hand. And they stared at each other, both realizing in that instant how glad they were that they had come to the reunion.  
  
  
Hank walked in the doorway, psyched to be in the old gym. He couldn't wait to see his friends again. It had been so long since he had seen any of them and he wondered what they were all up to.   
  
He scanned the large room, looking for the old gang. His eyes fell upon Jamie and Catie, standing next to the refreshments table. Jamie was holding Catie's hand and they were both staring at each other with wide eyes.  
  
"Well, well, well," Hank murmured as he watched his two friends stare at each other in awe. He recognized the look in their eyes way too well. "Looks like things are going to be interesting tonight," he whispered softly, smiling.  
  
  
Well, please review!!!!!! And a special note to Mad Cow- the next part will be about Hank, I promise. Just hold on a couple more days, K? I'm still debating what to do with him. Thanks everyone for reviewing!  



	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Yeah, the usual. I don't own anything IaHB related.   
I must say that Hank, out of all the characters in this fic, was the hardest to write about. Hmmmm. Maybe they need more Hank storylines on the show.  
  
  
Hank had been psyched about coming to the reunion since the day he received the invitation in the mail. He had guessed that it was close to the time for a reunion anyway. The reunion meant a chance to see everyone that Hank hadn't been able to see since graduating. He couldn't wait to see Tyler and Val and Jamie and Catie. At least, he expected that all of them were coming. Why wouldn't they come to their own reunion? It never entered his mind that any of them could possibly doubt going.  
  
For himself, Hank had done his part. He had stayed in touch with his four best friends as well as possible. Of course, it wasn't as if Hank had an easy schedule himself. Being one of the most sought after pediatricians in the Chicago area was taxing sometimes. Hank's life was mainly his work. But, he always managed to find some down time for himself every week and that was usually when he would try to contact his friends. Val was constantly in a meeting, Jamie looking at a site, Catie at a book signing, and Tyler in class. Over the years, Hank had become a pro at leaving messages and waiting for his friends to respond. Sometimes, it was hard with their busy lives for them to write or call him back. Yet, Hank never worried. He knew that eventually (in their own time) he would hear from each of them and he always did.  
  
That's why the reunion was so important. He'd be able to see all of his friends face to face for the first time since graduation. And man, it felt good.  
  
Hank had hung the invitation on the bulletin board next to his desk in his office. It hung right next to a small 3x5 picture of him and his friends at graduation. They all wore their caps and gowns still, as the ceremony had not started yet. Hank's mom had taken the picture, knowing that Hank would miss his friends dearly when he went away to school.  
  
Hank looked at the picture now and wondered what everyone looked like. He had only talked to them in letters and over the phone for the last few years, but he had never seen a picture of any of them. He wondered if Jamie still had his spiky hair and if Val looked like an angel. Did Tyler still look like he should be elected Prom King and was Catie still.....Catie?  
  
He smiled as he remembered all the different fun times he had had with these people. All the laughs they had shared and how they had always made one heck of a team.   
  
He hoped that when they saw each other again, the same old comfortable feeling of friendship would be there. Hank was pretty sure it would be.   
  
..............................  
  
Hank walked in the doorway, psyched to be in the old gym. He couldn't wait to see his friends again. It had been so long since he had seen any of them and he wondered what they were all up to.   
  
He scanned the large room, looking for the old gang. His eyes fell upon Jamie and Catie, standing next to the refreshments table. Jamie was holding Catie's hand and they were both staring at each other with wide eyes.  
  
"Well, well, well," Hank murmured as he watched his two friends stare at each other in awe. He recognized the look in their eyes way too well. "Looks like things are going to be interesting tonight," he whispered softly, smiling.  
  
Hank chuckled as he continued to watch Jamie and Catie stare at each other. Wasn't it just like them to take this long to realize how much they meant to each other? Hank could have told them years ago that they belonged together, but they wouldn't have listened. They would have denied it, pretended that the obvious connection was not there. After all, Catie and Jamie were the two most stubborn people Hank had ever met. Maybe, he thought, that's why they got along so well.  
  
Of course, he added in his mind, if they don't move soon, I'll have to go over and check for their pulses.   
  
He chuckled again and decided to give them just a couple more minutes to themselves before making his presence known. Hank was no fool. He knew that if he went over there, he'd break the trance that Jamie and Catie seemed to be in. And he definitely did not want to do that. No way, not when it looked as if Jamie and Catie were finally truly seeing each other for the first time.  
  
A couple more minutes, he said in his mind and then glanced around the gym to see if there was anyone else he could recognize. There were a few faces here and there in the crowd that looked vaguely familiar, but Hank could not remember their names. Hank wondered where Tyler and Val were and he quickly scanned the gym for them. Of course, what with all of the people in the room, it was hard to really pick anyone out from the crowd. He did see Heather, though, who looked as if she were about to commit murder. Her whole face was red with anger and her eyes darted around the gym as if she were looking for someone in particular. Man, Hank thought, I'm glad I am not who she is looking for.   
  
Hank was just about to go look on the other side of the gym for Val and Tyler when he heard a voice behind him.  
  
"Hank," The voice said, as smooth as velvet.   
  
Hank turned around, expecting to see some forgotten classmate behind him. He readied himself to pull a name out of his mind quickly. Yet, the person standing before him did not look familiar at all. Not even in the deep reaches of his memory could he pull out a name for this person.  
  
She was normal height, but in her short black dress, her legs seemed long. Her thin body fit into the dress perfectly, as if it had been made for her special instead of just store bought. Her long brown hair hung straight to her waist. And her almond colored cat shaped eyes caught Hank's attention and held it there.  
  
He watched as those eyes disappeared for a moment while their owner blinked. Then the lids rose again and Hank almost sighed with contentment as he was given the opportunity to look upon them again.   
  
Hank had no idea who she was, but man, she looked good. And she apparently knew him since she had said his name. Too bad he couldn't remember who she was.   
  
"You don't remember me, do you?" She asked in the silky voice of hers. Hank's heart pounded in his chest and he tried very hard to think about what she had just asked him. It was hard, though, when those eyes were focused on his and that voice was sending him into shock.  
  
Focus, he told himself, trying to think of something to say to her in return. He knew that he did not remember her. That, it seemed, was not the problem. The problem was being able to tear his gaze away from her eyes so that he could remember how to talk again. But, he was afraid he'd miss the chance to look back at them.   
  
Hank shook his head.  
  
And she laughed. The stunning creature before him laughed, reminding him of a thousand flutes playing a dozen short notes. Her laugh was high and powerful. It was the best sound Hank had ever heard in his life.   
  
"You took me to homecoming one year, even though you really didn't want to."   
  
Hank searched through the archives in his brain desperately, trying hard to come up with a name. Homecoming, yeah, he remembered that. He remembered how he had gone with Melanie Chung to homecoming. He hadn't wanted to go with her. But, when she had asked him, Hank had not been able to say no.   
  
This woman before me is definitely not Melanie, Hank reasoned in his mind. There was no way she could be. The Melanie Hank remembered had had short brown hair, cut above her shoulders. She had worn brown glasses and weird clothes. And she had had a high voice, not like this seductress in front of him now.  
  
And yet.......and yet, when Hank stared deep into the eyes of the person before him, he could almost see the old familiar twinkle that had always been present in Melanie's eyes.  
  
"Melanie?" he asked slowly, surprised that he had even found his voice. God, she was absolutely beautiful.  
  
She laughed again and Hank thought he might just have a heart attack. "So, you do remember me," she said, smiling.  
  
"You look so....so..." Hank started, trying to find the right words.  
  
"Different? I know. It's amazing what contacts and a workout can do for you."  
  
Hank smiled back at her, his eyes wide with surprise. This was Melanie Chung? This was the girl who he had run from before? Man, Hank did not feel like running now. If anything, Hank felt as if his feet were permanently glued to the floor. There was no way that anything was ever going to pull him from that spot. A hurricane could have come and blown everybody else away. But as long as Melanie was there, Hank would be too.   
  
"I saw your picture in the paper not too long ago. Resident pediatrician. Very impressive, Hank," she said with another smile that seemed to whip through Hank's heart. "Doctor Beecham has a nice ring to it."  
  
"Oh, that's no big deal," he answered modestly. "What have you been up to?"  
  
"I'm a model now. International."  
  
She was a model. An international model. Melanie Chung was an international model. Of course she's a model, Hank thought not surprised at all. After all, the girl was fine. And she was talking to him, a guy who had not even remembered her name. Well, Hank thought, I won't forget her name ever again. Or her lips, or her eyes.  
  
Ah, those eyes. The one feature of hers that he still had not taken his own gaze off of. They were so intriguing. They pulled at Hank, enticing him to look closer. Hank felt as if he could stare into them forever, lose all contact with real life and still be the happiest person around. But, none of that now, Melanie was talking again.  
  
"You know, doctor Beecham," she started, a hint of humor in her eyes, "I have a confession to make."  
  
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Hank asked, wondering what this beautiful person could possibly have to confess.  
  
The beautiful brown eyes closed and then opened again as Melanie blinked. She returned her gaze to Hank's eyes and Hank almost sighed.  
  
"I was hoping that you would be here tonight," she said slowly.  
  
Hank smiled, pleased that she had thought of him years after she had seen him last. He cocked his head a bit and looked at her, waiting for her to go on.  
  
"I wanted to tell you that I have always wondered what you were up to. See, I used to......have a huge crush on you in high school and it never totally went away," she finished.  
  
All of the sudden, Hank's legs felt like Jello.  
  
  
  
Suddenly the crowd that had separated Hank from Tyler and Val opened and Tyler got a quick glimpse of his old friend as he hurried the rest of the way over to Val. Vaguely, Tyler wondered who the girl was that Hank was talking to, but he didn't have time to mull over the question. He still had had to beat Lean Dean from getting to Val first. Just a few more steps.......  
  
  
  
Hehehe. I hate to leave Hank there, but it's Tyler and Val's turn. Hopefully, I will have the continuation of their storyline out soon. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks guys!  



	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Yeah, you've all heard this same song and dance before. Let's move on.  
  
  
  
Val's eyes darted between Lean Dean and Tyler, the smile slowly fading from her face. She had seen Tyler just minutes before and she had hoped that he would come over to her and talk. They had so much to catch up on. After all, wasn't Tyler one of the reasons she had come to reunion in the first place? She had tried to convince herself that she didn't care how Tyler was doing. But, deep inside, she knew that was just a lie. Hadn't she really wanted to see how he was doing?......To see if he had missed her?  
  
Val had to admit that she had been thrilled when Tyler had started across the gym towards her. To bad he wasn't the only one coming towards her.  
  
Val hadn't planned on Lean Dean. Sure, he had always been a nice guy in school and normally Val would have loved to chat with him and find out what he had been up to. But, she had just seen Tyler. Couldn't Lean Dean wait?  
  
Oh boy, she thought as she watched the two boys glance at each other and then back at her. The look on both of their faces was definitely determination. Val wondered what she had gotten into.  
  
...............................  
  
  
Tyler did not like Lean Dean. He did not like the fact that he was racing the 'glandular case' to Val. His Val. He did not like how Lean Dean's legs were so much longer than his own. As it was, Lean Dean's pace was eating up the space between he and Val way too fast for Tyler's taste.  
  
Tyler shook his head in disgust. Looks like Lean Dean hasn't changed much since high school, he thought.  
  
It wasn't hard for Tyler to remember the last time that Dean had raced him to Val. Then, though, they both had had to weave their path through fellow students on their way to class. This time it was different. This time only open space separated the two boys from Val.  
  
Tyler picked up his pace when he realized that Dean was somehow walking faster.  
  
Just a few more steps..............   
  
"Tyler, there you are!" A voice called.  
  
Tyler was forced to stop abruptly in his tracks as somebody stepped right directly into his path. He looked down at the petite blond and gritted his teeth. Heather. He should have known.  
  
"I have been looking all over for you!" She cried, her angry eyes piercing him.   
  
Tyler swallowed and looked over Heather's head to where Dean was slowing to a stop in front of Val. Tyler closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. Looks like Lean Dean won again, he thought miserably. If only he could have been a little faster............  
  
"Where's my punch?" Heather asked, looking at his empty hands.  
  
"I, um....," Tyler started, opening his eyes and watching as Dean led Val away across the gym. He looked back at Heather, who watched him, her eyes narrowed. "I just got distracted," Tyler managed to say.  
  
Yeah, by a certain blond, Heather thought. Heather felt her anger build within her throat. Heather had had a crush on Tyler every since they had been in junior high together. But, it was hard to be so devoted to a guy like Tyler who seemed to worship the ground another girl walked on. And it just wasn't any other girl. It was Val Lanier. The golden princess of all that was good. Heather wanted to throw up. Everyone loved Val. Val was great. Perfect. And Heather was...? No one ever cared about Heather as long as Val was around.   
  
But, that was all going to change. Well, it would if Heather managed to keep Tyler's attention on her for a while. Tyler will see that I am so better than that Val Lanier, Heather thought smugly, and once Tyler and I are together, people won't care anything about Val Lanier anymore.  
  
Heather laid a hand on Tyler's arm. "C'mon," she said, smiling through her gritted teeth. "Let's go get that punch together."  
  
Tyler glanced once more towards the side of the gym where Val and Dean sat talking. Dean said something and Val laughed, throwing her head back. Tyler looked away. It was supposed to be him sitting with Val, making her laugh. It was supposed to be him.   
  
.................................  
  
Val was being polite. Dean had ended up getting to her before Tyler and had automatically starting talking her ear off. He was so excited about seeing her again. He wanted to tell her everything he had been up to, ranging from his years in college to his job selling insurance. So, Val sat quietly and let him talk. Truly, she was interested in what her classmate had to say. It was just that Tyler had been so close.  
  
She glanced across the gym and found Tyler standing with Heather. Val could see that they were talking and for a brief second, Val felt jealous. Why couldn't she be the one to talk to Tyler right then? She wished she knew what they were talking about.  
  
She looked back at Dean as he started to tell her about playing basketball in college. She laughed wholeheartedly when he told her about the team initiation ceremony. It wasn't exactly funny because of what they had done, but because it reminded Val of a time when she had been part of the EMT initiation. And that led her mind back to Tyler.  
  
Val glanced across the gym again just as Tyler and Heather started walking away from where they had stood. Her eyes focused on Heather's hand, resting possessively on Tyler's suit jacket. Oh, she thought, turning back to Dean. That's how it is.  
  
Val tried not to be disappointed, but her mind was already hard at work. She was surprised that Tyler and Heather had stayed in contact through the years. It was obvious that they were together now, weren't they? After all, Heather had been holding on to Tyler's arm pretty tightly.  
  
"Now, let me show you my real accomplishment since high school," Dean said, drawing Val's attention out of her thoughts.   
  
Dean reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his wallet.  
  
....................................  
  
Tyler was all too aware of Heather's hand on his arm as they approached the drink table. Her fingers were grasped tightly around his arm as if she were hanging on for dear life. He wished she would let go. He didn't want to deal with her for the rest of the night. Couldn't she just go off with her friends, make fun of other people and leave him alone?  
  
All Tyler wanted to do was sulk. It felt as if the whole world had fallen down around him in mere minutes. He had had one chance with Val tonight and he had blown it. Now, he thought, I'll never get to talk to her. Lean Dean will be hanging over her all night. Could it get any worse? Tyler had lost Val once to Dean and it looked as if he had just done it again.  
  
"Ugh!" Heather exclaimed as they reached the refreshments table. "Do you see those two? They're so gross!"  
  
She reached for a glass of punch and Tyler took the opportunity to look at who she was talking about. He smiled as his eyes fell upon Jamie and Caitie, staring at each other in total silence. Well, he thought, at least someone is happy.  
  
He watched them for a minute, studying both of their faces. Caitie stared up at Jamie as if his eyes held all the answers in the world. Her mouth was partway open as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. Jamie, on the other hand, stared seriously at the girl in front of him. He looked as if he was searching her face for something. Something, only he could see.  
  
Tyler's heart started to pound. He knew what Jamie was looking for because Tyler, too, had looked for it before. In Val's face. It was the beauty of knowing that that other person feels the same way you do. That they would go to the ends of the earth just to spend one day with you.  
  
Tyler glanced down at Jamie and Caitie's hands. Jamie held onto Caitie's hand, no doubt feeling the electric connection that ran between them. Tyler had felt that before too, when he had touched Val's hand.  
  
Jamie and Caitie were in their own little world. They had no idea what was going on around them. Slowly, Tyler's heart lifted as he realized that he, too, wanted to feel that way. With one person, one person in particular.  
  
Heather handed him a glass of punch and then raised her own glass.  
  
"To us," she said, smiling contently.  
  
Tyler looked away from his friends and stared at Heather. In that instant of time, his mind was made up.   
  
"No," he said, before his mind could talk him out of it.  
  
The smile dropped from Heather's face quickly and she stared at him questioningly.  
  
Tyler set his untouched punch back down on the table and turned on his heel. He walked away, a smile already forming on his face. He could just see how red Heather's face was turning in his mind. She'll probably never forgive me, he thought and almost laughed. He no longer cared about Heather. She didn't matter anymore. Just like Dean didn't matter. He might have beaten Tyler in the past, but Tyler would not him win this time. Not when she was so important to him.  
  
Tyler's smile grew as he walked away from Heather, in search of Val.  
  
  
  
Okay, so what did you think? Please, please, please review.  



	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own nothing Disney related. Just a fan and all that. No suing, please, because that would be really crappy.  
I suggest that you read the other parts first. Then this part might make more sense.  
Please, please, please, please, please review!  
  
  
His eyes were brown. Of course, Caitie had known that for years and years. Yet, for some reason, tonight they looked different. Better. More amazing. How was it possible, she wondered, to suddenly find yourself lost in a pair of eyes that had never affected you before? Caitie pondered this as she stared deeper in to the depths of brown before her.  
  
............................  
  
Jamie searched Caitie's face intently. He was looking for a sign, any sign at all that Caitie felt as strange as he did. Sure, Jamie had had girlfriends since graduating from high school. Yet, none of them were like Caitie. That had been the problem, Jamie realized after every relationship had ended. The girls Jamie had dated in the past had not been Caitie and so, they had never lasted.  
  
  
But, now, after so long, she was there before him. Jamie couldn't figure out what to do next. One thing was certain, though. He definitely was going to stay in contact with her from now on.  
  
..........................  
  
A loud smack startled Caitie and she jumped, inadvertently pulling her hand out of Jamie's grasp. Jamie took a step back and shook his head as if he were just coming out of a trance. He looked back at Caitie slowly, knowing that the connection between them had been severed. He sighed somewhat disappointed that their moment had been ruined.   
  
But, then again, doubt did creep up into his mind. Was he crazy? Yeah, he really liked Caitie and all that, but he hadn't seen her in years. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she had changed?  
  
Her face was turned partially away from him, looking at someone across the punch table next to where they stood. A small smirk played on her lips. Jamie wished that she would look back at him so he could see her eyes. Eyes never lied about how someone was feeling.  
  
Jamie followed Caitie's gaze, wondering who had captured her attention. Across the table, stood Heather, her face entirely too red. She stood close to the table, one hand on it for support as she breathed heavily. She looked like she was angry enough to commit murder. Next to her on the table, her cup of punch lay broken, where she had slammed it down. The bright red liquid seeped out of the glass, down the sides of the white tablecloth. Jamie could just imagine how much angrier Heather would be when she found out that her dress was now soaking up some of the fallen punch.  
  
Apparently, Caitie was having the same thought because she broke out into a full-fledged grin. She glanced at Jamie and he returned her smile.   
  
"Maybe we should leave this area," he said grabbing her arm and steering her away from the punch table before Heather really got mad.   
  
As soon as they were out of hearing range, Caitie broke out into laughter. "Oh, that was too good," she said. "I guess I'm glad I came to this thing after all."  
  
"I'm glad you came," Jamie said quietly, staring at her.  
  
Caitie froze and stared at Jamie, wondering what he was thinking. She still could not believe what had happened between them just minutes before. Had it been a joke, she had wondered at the time. Or had Jamie been serious as he stared at her?   
  
The whole thing had unnerved her to the extreme. She had come here only to convince herself that she had only had a small silly crush on Jamie, nothing more. But, she had not expected this to happen. She had not expected to feel something she had never really felt before.  
  
And how, she thought, did he expect her to respond to a statement like the one he had just made? What was he expecting her to say?  
  
Caitie looked away from Jamie, feeling the strange tension between them crackle like electricity. It had never been this way with Jamie before. They had always been so comfortable around each other. They had never had any trouble finding things to talk about. Yet, as they stood there, both staring out at the dance floor, talking seemed impossible.  
  
.............................  
  
Jamie scanned the gym, his eyes passing over people but not really focusing on any of them. His mind raced a mile a minute. He knew now that he should not have said what he did. He should have let things go lightly as they always had when Caitie and he had been in high school. Heck, in high school he had become a pro at pretending that he didn't like Caitie any more than a friend. But, this time, things were different.  
  
Jamie didn't want to push Caitie. For all he knew, she could only want him as a friend. But, was he ready to accept that? Like hell, he thought, feeling nervousness creep into his stomach. He wished with all his might that he could just push the nervous feeling away and never deal with it again. As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely no reason to feel nervous. This was just Caitie. He'd known her for way too long to be nervous around her. Yet, he felt that way all the same.  
  
Think, he commanded his mind fiercely. He had to say something, to save any chance they might have at conversing that night.  
  
"I read your book," Jamie mention casually, glancing at Caitie.  
  
She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. "You did?" She asked. It was, in fact, a surprise to her that he had read something she had written. Since graduating, Caitie's whole life had been her writings. To know that Jamie cared enough to touch on her little world really meant something to her. Of course, she thought, if he read the book, there's a good chance he saw the dedication.......  
  
"Yeah," Jamie said. "I liked it a lot. And the dedication was nice. Thanks."  
  
He could see the first page of the book so clearly in his mind. Of course, over the years, he must have glanced at it at least a million times. Whenever Jamie had been going through a rough patch or had simply had a bad day, he would take out his copy of Caitie's book and flip it open to the first place. And he would read the few sweet words out loud to himself. "To Jamie: For never giving up easily and for being one of the greatest people I know. Wherever life has taken you, I hope you are happy." The words, themselves, had always made him feel better. But, knowing that they had come from Caitie had always warmed his heart.  
  
Of course, he would not tell her how his copy of her book was so worn from reading that the cover had been taped on. It wasn't as if Jamie had been careless when he had bought the book. No, it was just the simple fact that he had read it over and over again, pouring over the words that had flowed from Caitie's pen. In a way, Jamie supposed it made him feel closer to Caitie even when they had not seen each other for years.  
  
"Yeah, well," Caitie remarked. "It was the truth. Of course, I could have told you that in person if you had called me once in a while."  
  
"I was busy," Jamie responded, a grin starting to form on his lips.  
  
"And these places where you were busy, they had no phones? No paper and pens for writing poor worried friends?" Caitie retorted in her usual sarcastic manner.  
  
Jamie laughed softly, happy that the lines of communication seemed to be open again. He felt more relaxed, as if everything was back to normal. Now if he could only get rid of the sudden urge to reach out and touch her hair. He bet it was soft. It hadn't escaped his attention that it seemed to shine under the gym lights.  
  
"So what have you been up to, Jamie?" Caitie asked, looking up at him from her shorter stance. "I mean, what has Jamie Waite been up to since high school?"  
  
"I guess you could say I have my own business," Jamie started, and Caitie looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on. " I run a year round camp for kids with cancer."  
  
Caitie felt her eyes go wide and she slowly smiled. Jamie Waite ran a camp for sick kids? Why did that seem so like him? Sure, on the outside, Jamie liked to portray himself as the sarcastic rebel. Yet, Caitie had always known that when kids were involved, Jamie melted on the floor.  
  
"That's really, really cool, Jamie," Caitie said, realizing not for the first time exactly why she loved him so. "What made you decide....."  
  
"Peter," Jamie said, and then he stopped. He took a deep breath and then continued. "Well, not really Peter. It was his daughter, Kelly. She was three when she got cancer." Jamie looked away from Caitie, unwilling to let her see the unhealed pain in his eyes. "She was so full of life, you know? Even at that age, she loved everybody and everything."  
  
"What happened?" Caitie asked, not really wanting to hear the answer to her question. She had an awful feeling that she already knew the answer.  
  
"She died a year later. The cancer....it was just too much for her little body."  
  
"Oh Jamie," Caitie breathed. She had had no idea that Jamie had suffered such an experience. Obviously, his niece had meant the world to him.  
  
Jamie looked back at Caitie, allowing her to see the pain in his eyes. "K's Camp. That's what we call it. In honor of Peter's little girl."  
  
"Jamie," Caitie started and she reached out to touch his arm.  
  
Yet, as she reached out, the strangest thing happened. At the same time that she reached out to put a supporting hand on Jamie's arm, something in Jamie's mind snapped. He was tired....of everything. Talking of Kelly had made him realize that he shouldn't, couldn't, wait to deal with his feelings for Caitie. They were there and he needed to deal with it. So, as Caitie reached out, Jamie reached out too. The result? Jamie found her hand in mid air. Their fingers intertwined tightly and even in their wonderment, Jamie and Caitie both held on tightly.  
  
  
Hank glanced over Melanie's shoulder, his eyes coming to rest on Jamie and Caitie. Oh boy, he thought, they're doing that staring thing again. Hank smiled, thinking how crazy those two were. Nothing like that would ever happen to him, Hank knew. No, he'd never act so silly where love was concerned. He would be smooth. Very smooth.  
  
And then Hank made the mistake of looking into Melanie's eyes. His legs turned to Jello again.  
  
  
  
Hank, it seems, has got it bad. Okay, I hope that the next part will be out soon. Don't forget to review, K? Thanks!  



	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I own nothing IaHB related.   
Note: Sorry it took so long to get this part out. School was really stressful for a while there. I also had a little trouble with getting Melanie and Hank to do anything worthwhile. Please don't forget to review.  
  
Here we go:  
  
"So, you, uh, ......... had a crush on me?" Hank asked, trying to act smooth and failing miserably.  
  
Melanie smiled brightly. This was, of course, how she had hoped her reunion with Hank would go.  
  
In high school, she had admired him greatly. He was the football star, the EMT, and the all-around good guy. Hank had been friends with everyone. He was sweet. He was kind. And he had always made her heart stop when he had come near her.   
  
It was quite a letdown that he had never looked at her as more than a possible pain in the behind. She hadn't realized at the time that the reason he had run away from her all of those times was to keep her from asking him to homecoming. She had finally caught Hank, though, and he had not wanted to disappoint her. Of course, in the end, she had wished that he had just said no to her invitation.   
  
It was obvious that he had not wanted to go to the Homecoming dance with her. Hank hadn't even danced with her. Melanie had tried to keep her chin up throughout the dance and tell herself that it could be worse. But, could it? Her date had not wanted to come with her. And finally she had confronted him about it. He had seemed concerned about her being mad at him. But, he was mistaken. She wasn't mad, just hurt.   
  
After that night, she had kept her feelings a secret. She tried to act the same around Hank, but she knew that things were not the same. And if he noticed any difference in her behavior, he didn't mention it. Of course, he was so busy with his own life that Melanie highly doubted that he had noticed anything about her at all. She never told anyone how she felt about Hank, even after she had graduated. But, that didn't mean that those feelings were not there. She had never forgotten him.   
  
And then one day, Melanie was perusing through the newspaper and had come upon the article about Hank. Everything- all of the feelings and emotions had come flooding back to her and she had felt as if it were only yesterday that she had seen him last. But, in reality, it had been years. That was when she knew that someday she would have to see him again and finally tell him the way she had felt about him all those years. She had loved the look of surprise that had graced Hank's face when he had finally recognized her.  
  
"Yes Hank," she answered. "I admired you a lot. Still do."  
  
Hank smiled, feeling pleased with himself. She had thought about him. And she admired him. A lot. Could it get any better, he wondered?  
  
Hank glanced over Melanie's shoulder, his eyes coming to rest on Jamie and Caitie. Oh boy, he thought, they're doing that staring thing again. Hank smiled, thinking how crazy those two were. Nothing like that would ever happen to him, Hank knew. No, he'd never act so silly where love was concerned. He would be smooth. Very smooth.  
  
And then Hank made the mistake of looking into Melanie's eyes. His legs turned to Jello again.  
  
He laughed nervously, not exactly sure what he should say. He could say that she was beautiful, but he imagined that fact hadn't escaped her attention. He could say that he had thought about her over the years, but that would be a lie. Melanie might have crossed his mind a time or two, but nothing concrete that had stuck in his mind like her face now inevitably would. He had left her behind in high school with the other numerous classmates that he had never truly been close to.   
  
And yet, as Hank thought back, Melanie had never really been that bad. She might have been a bit annoying in high school, but she had not been too bad. And she had always been nice to him, even after he had treated her so shabbily at the homecoming dance that one night. He did remember, however, that she had been a bit standoffish towards him after that night. Of course, he was too busy being everybody else's friend to truly pay attention to it, though.  
  
Now, Hank regretted not giving Melanie the time she deserved in high school. It wasn't just because she had seemed to turn into a Goddess over time. It was just the simple fact that she was a person with feelings and Hank had not cared at all in high school.  
  
"Melanie, I-," Hank started, wanting to apologize for his past behavior. But, he didn't have a chance as she cut him off.  
  
"Are you here with someone?" She asked, lowering her eyes a bit. A lock of dark hair fell into her eyes, making her look even more exotic than before. She laughed slightly at her own bluntness. "I mean, I didn't even ask you. I don't want to keep you from them."  
  
"Um, no. I came alone," Hank answered. "You?"  
  
"I am alone too," Melanie said, raising her eyes to meet Hank's once more.  
  
Hank was being sucked in. He could feel it in every ounce of his being. Her eyes were just too enticing, and they were pulling at him, making him their prisoner. Suddenly, Hank knew how Jamie felt when he looked into Caitie's eyes. And he knew how Tyler felt when he looked into Val's eyes.   
  
This one encounter with Melanie would not be enough, Hank knew. He had to see her more, talk to her more. Give her the chance that he had not given her in high school. Although, would he be giving her a chance? Or would she be giving him one?  
  
A scream ripped through the gym, pulling Hank and Melanie out of their trance. The female noise went up several octaves and everyone looked around to see where and who it was coming from. Somewhere in the back of Hank's mind he realized that someone had turned off the music that they had had playing softly in the background.   
  
Hank turned around, looking around for the person who had screamed. The crowd over by the refreshments table tittered with laughter and then opened up as Heather charged out from their midst. She stopped right outside of the group and looked around at everyone in the gym who was staring at her. A large pink stain marred the side of her dress and her face had the look of absolute horror as she glanced down at it.   
  
"Oh my gosh!" She screeched and then rushed out of the gym as fast as her feet could carry her.  
  
Everywhere in the gym, people were laughing and pointing to the refreshments table, where the punch had made a puddle on the floor. It was evident to everyone in the room that Heather had been standing too close to the table. Now her dress showed it.  
  
After a few minutes, the music was turned back on and people went back to their conversations. The din of voices that had been strangely silent during the Heather episode, picked up again.   
  
Hank turned back towards Melanie and found her looking thoughtfully at the door in which Heather had just made her dramatic exit. "You know," she started slowly, "when we were in school, I wanted so badly to be a part of her crowd."  
  
Melanie turned back to look at hank, her eyes dark with an emotion that Hank was not sure he liked. "To be cool," she added, "like you."  
  
Hank froze, waiting for her to go on.   
  
"I truly did like you in high school, Hank. But, after a while I realized that you didn't care. So, I kind of stepped back and got to see how the popular crowd really acts. Then I understood that I really didn't want to be a part of Heather's group."  
  
Melanie lowered her head. She had just told Hank way more than she had ever expected to. It was never her intention to tell him how she had wanted so badly to be popular. And how, people like Heather had laughed at her for years. She had called them friends, even when she knew they made fun of her behind her back.   
  
Sure, she had been different in high school. She had experimented with the colors and fabrics of clothing. People had just thought she dressed weird, but look where she was now. A model. People tended to look at her 'strange' dressings a bit differently now. Now they took her seriously.  
  
And why was she telling Hank this? After all these years? It was simple. Out of everyone in that room, Melanie wanted Hank to finally understand. She wanted to explain to him what it was like to be outside of the popular group. To always see them, but never be near them.  
  
"What made you think of that?" Hank asked quietly, feeling bad all over again for everything he had never said in high school.   
  
Melanie raised her head and shot a bleak look towards the door that Heather had rushed out of. "If that had happened to me.......If I was still the same 'annoying' Melanie that everyone knew me as, and if that had happened to me, they would have laughed harder. It was nothing for Heather."  
  
"Melanie-," Hank started, trying to correct her.  
  
"No Hank, think about it. Look around you. Everybody here has already forgotten all about what happened just a few minutes ago. But if it had been me, they'd still be talking and laughing about it. And you'd be laughing too."  
  
Hank flinched as if she had slapped him across the cheek. Was it true? Would he have laughed? Hank tried to assure himself that he would not have. He would have not found it funny. And yet.....and yet, if she had been the same Melanie from high school, wouldn't he have thought it funny that something like that had happened to such an annoying person?  
  
In that second of time, Hank realized how much he must have hurt Melanie at the homecoming dance so many years ago. He had been so worried about being seen with Melanie that he hadn't really considered how he might have hurt her. I can't believe I acted that way, Hank thought, berating himself.  
  
"But you got the last laugh," Hank said, trying to make her feel better. "No one would ever make fun of you now."  
  
Melanie smiled bitterly and turned her gaze back at the crowd around the refreshments table. "There's more to me than just a pretty face, Hank."  
  
Hank nodded, his eyes going wide in agreement. "I know," he replied. "So much more."  
  
And he truly was beginning to see that that was the truth.  
  
  
Val bade good-bye to Dean and watched as he walked away in search of other classmates to reminisce with. It had been good talking to him after all, Val decided. He was a nice guy. And it had kept her mind off other matters like Tyler and Heather.  
  
Val placed her elbow on the table in front of her and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. She sighed as she glanced around the gym, looking for a friendly face. Everyone seemed so busy talking with other people.........except her.  
  
Her eyes grazed over Hank and Melanie, who stood smiling shyly at each other like a couple of sixth graders. She smiled. Of course, she recognized Melanie from different magazine covers. And Hank...... Well, Val thought, breaking into a full-fledged grin, he'll never know what hit him.   
  
  
Please, please review. After the week I just had, it would be wonderful to hear nice things from you guys. Thanks lots.  



	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own anything IaHB related. I mean, seriously, I don't. And I have never met any of the cast, etc. Whatever. ;)   
  
Here we go:   
  
Tyler was half way across the gym floor when he heard the scream. Normally, such a noise would have stopped him in his tracks. Normally, he would have looked around, searching for the person who obviously was in some sort of trouble. They must be if they were screaming, right?  
  
This time, though, the scream did not even break his stride. He didn't turn to see who had made such an awful noise because he knew with all certainty that it had to have been Heather. She had finally lost it. The thought of how red her face must be made Tyler smile.  
  
Heather was not important to him. She was a snob, as he suspected she had always been. He knew that leaving her at the refreshments table like he had was not exactly gentleman-like. But, Tyler didn't care. He had other things on his mind.  
  
He strode across the gym with only one goal in mind- to find Val. After all, he had come to the reunion to see Val. Nothing, not Heather nor Lean Dean, was going to stop him.   
  
Tyler had been ready to give up on his chances of being with Val when Dean had beaten him across the gym floor to her. He had been ready to just chalk the experience up to bad luck and go back to his life- without Val. But, seeing Jamie and Caitie had made him realize how important Val really was to him. And how important it was that he see her soon.  
  
She was still seated at the table where he had seen her last. The only difference was that Dean was nowhere to be found. Tyler stopped walking and just stared at her for a minute. She sat alone, staring out into the endless couples across the gym. A smile played on her lips and she tilted her head to one side as if she were pondering some deep mysterious thoughts.   
  
She was beautiful. Tyler had never in all his life met anyone that was as beautiful as she was at that moment, just sitting there casually. A part of him just wanted to watch her, to not bother the peace that seemed to surround her sweetly. He just wanted to stay where he was and stare at her and memorize every detail of the way she looked. That way, when the reunion weekend was over with, he would be able to carry away her image in his mind.  
  
But, his feet seemed to have other plans for him as they carried him closer to the table. He wondered vaguely if she had been disappointed when Dean had gotten to her first just a short time before. Had she wished it had been me, he asked himself. And he truly hoped with all his might that the answer was yes.  
  
.....................................................  
  
Val placed her elbow on the table in front of her and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. She sighed as she glanced around the gym, looking for a friendly face. Everyone seemed so busy talking with other people.........except her.  
  
Her eyes grazed over Hank and Melanie, who stood smiling shyly at each other like a couple of sixth graders. She smiled. Of course, she recognized Melanie from different magazine covers. And Hank...... Well, Val thought, breaking into a full-fledged grin, he'll never know what hit him.   
  
"Man, she sure has changed, hasn't she?" A voice behind her said quietly and she could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat.   
  
She turned around slowly, trying to make it look as if she were not too interested in who was behind her. She did not want to give away the fact that she cared what Tyler had to say. He was at the dance with Heather, wasn't he? Why was he wasting his time talking to her then?   
  
"Yeah," she replied, looking into Tyler's blue eyes. "She has. A lot of people here have."   
  
"Yeah," came the soft reply. "Can I sit down?"  
  
As if on autopilot, Val motioned to the seat across from her, which had just recently been vacated by Dean. She watched as Tyler sat down across from her and made himself comfortable.   
  
And then suddenly neither knew what to say. They stared at each other, both wondering why it was that they had come to the reunion in the first place. Maybe this was a bad idea, Tyler thought.  
  
Val smiled, trying desperately not to show her true emotions. Before coming to the reunion, she had not been sure what would happen when she saw Tyler again after so long. She hadn't been sure how she would react to seeing him. It was just so difficult seeing how she had felt so strongly for him before! And he hadn't written her at all since graduation. They had had no contact with each other whatsoever. Now, though, was a different story. Here he was, sitting across from her like he had so many times in high school. What was she to say?  
  
She wanted to say something to start off a conversation. Val wanted their conversation to be friendly and light, as it had always been in high school. She didn't want to have to think about the tension that seemed to be growing between them all too quickly. No, she just wanted things to be as they were before, when they had been such good friends.   
  
"So, I didn't realize you and Heather were so close," she started, hoping it would break the strange barrier of silence that had been erected between them.  
  
"What?" Tyler asked, extremely confused. He and Heather were anything but close. Right now, Tyler was pretty sure that Heather would tend to agree with him. Where did she get an idea like that, he wondered briefly.  
  
"Well," Val started, hoping she didn't sound like she was prying. As a matter of fact, though, she was. "I saw you two.......together......and she had her hand on your arm. So, I just thought that you two had...um...gotten together."  
  
Tyler laughed. So, that was where she had gotten such a crazy thought. And how wrong she was. She was so far off the mark, that it was almost comical. There was no way that he would ever be with Heather, not when Val was sitting across from him looking like a perfect angel.   
  
But, there was something else going on as well. Val had seemed different when she had started to talk about Heather. This amused Tyler greatly. Was it possible? Did Val seem jealous? If anything, Tyler knew, Val did not have to be jealous of Heather. Between the two girls, there was absolutely no competition as to whom Tyler would want to be with.  
  
"Heather and I are not together," he informed Val, still laughing a bit. "We just saw each other at the hotel tonight and decided.....no, more like, she decided, to come here together. That's all."  
  
"Looked like you two were pretty cozy," Val murmured under her breath, as she looked out at the other couples who were starting to dance to the music.  
  
Tyler stopped smiling and looked at Val closely. Oh, he had heard what she had said under her breath and it bothered him greatly. Why should Val care who he had come to the dance with anyway? He had thought that his explanation of how he had ended up as Heather's date would have been enough. But, Val still seemed perturbed about something. Yeah, she's really one to talk, he thought.   
  
"Well, what about you?" Tyler demanded, drawing Val's attention back to him. He leaned forward in his chair. "You and Dean seemed to be real friendly over here, talking like you guys were old friends."  
  
"We are old friends."  
  
"Yeah, but not as good of friends as you and I were," Tyler retorted harshly.   
  
Tyler sat back in his chair and watched as hurt crept its way up into Val's eyes. He hadn't meant to be so harsh with his words. It was just.....well, seeing her with Dean had not exactly been a bright spot on his evening. "I mean, we are good friends," he amended slowly.  
  
Val smiled slightly, not sure where to go with their disastrous attempt at conversation.  
  
"So what has Dean been up to?" Tyler asked. He really didn't care what Dean had done since high school. But, Tyler wanted to hear Val talk. And if she talked about someone that she obviously cared about, then..........  
  
"College, wife, three kids," Val said.  
  
Tyler smiled, his first genuine smile of the evening. "Really?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah," Val replied, happy that their new conversation seemed to be taking on a bit of a lighter tone. "He has pictures in his wallet and everything. He's a very proud daddy."  
  
"Well, then where is his wife?" Tyler asked, scanning the gym for Dean and his apparent spouse.  
  
Val smiled. Was that relief she had seen when she had told Tyler about Dean being married? Or was it her imagination?  
  
"She was supposed to come. But at the last minute, the babysitter got sick. So, she told Dean to go without her."  
  
Val looked at Tyler. Tyler looked at Val. Suddenly, as if on cue, both Tyler and Val burst out laughing. The tension that had been an immovable wall between them just minutes before, rushed away, leaving their old friendship behind in its wake. And, perhaps, something new.  
  
"You're not with Heather," Val said, smiling at the person she had thought about since graduation too many times to count.  
  
"And you are not going to end up with Lean Dean," Tyler added, shaking his head at his own stupidity. How, he wondered, could he have ever thought that she would end up with Dean?  
  
Val shook her head no and they both laughed again. It was too much. All this time they had thought that they had been growing away from each other. Val with Dean and Tyler with Heather. Little did they know, those thoughts had only succeeded in making them even more determined to see each other.   
  
"We are so pathetic," Tyler commented, and Val smiled at him. God, she was beautiful.  
  
"I know!" Val exclaimed. "I thought that you and.........well, it doesn't matter what I thought."  
  
Tyler sat quietly, looking at the girl before him. So many thoughts were running around in his mind that he had almost missed Val's last comment. Almost. He simply waited for Val to meet his gaze before saying a word.  
  
"Are you relieved?" He asked slowly.  
  
Her eye's glittered with excitement and a blush started to form on her cheeks. "I...well.....maybe." She finally admitted before looking back down at the tabletop.   
  
Tyler grinned. In his opinion, it couldn't get much better than it already was. So Val was happy he wasn't with Heather. Good, he thought. This is very good.  
  
"Listen, Val, remember when I didn't ask you to homecoming that one time back in high school?"  
  
She nodded, as it had been a sore spot on her mind for the last few years. Val looked up to find Tyler looking at her intently.  
  
"Well, since I never asked you, I never got to dance with you. And I was kind of hoping I could fix that tonight." Tyler added shyly. Why did it seem so hard to ask Val to dance with him, he wondered. She was the same old Val, wasn't she?   
  
Well, maybe not.  
  
The smile slowly faded from Val's face. Dancing? She had strictly sworn to herself that she would not dance with him. After all, dancing would only succeed in bringing them closer together. She didn't want to get close to him again, did she? After the reunion, they would each go their separate ways, never to hear from each other again until the next reunion. Val didn't want to be hurt if Tyler never called or wrote to her again.  
  
She looked out across the floor again, searching for any way to stall the moment. Val knew that Tyler was waiting for her answer, but at that moment, she had none to give.  
  
Her eyes flicked across a couple, standing over to one side of the gym, staring at each other intently. It looked as if they were in their own little world. Even from where she was, Val could see a slight smile touch Caitie's lips as she stared up at Jamie. Val wondered what her friend was thinking at that moment. Was she wondeing if she would ever hear from Jamie after the reunion? No, Val thought, knowing Caitie, she was probably not thinking anything of the sort. In fact, it looked as if Caitie didn't give two hoots about what would happen later on. It looked as if all Caitie cared about was the present.  
  
Val smiled and looked back at Tyler, who sat across from her, waiting patiently for her answer. His blue eyes looked at her hopefully.  
  
And then Val thought of Kiandra and the bet that they had made before Val had left for the reunion. How had Val's friend known what she would face when seeing Tyler again after so long?  
  
"I bet you five dollars that you end up dancing with him," Kiandra had said.  
  
"Five dollars," Val murmured, smiling at Tyler.  
  
"What?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair a bit.  
  
"I said I'd love to dance with you," Val answered.  
  
Sure, it did occur to Tyler that that had not been what she had said, but he did not question it. He didn't even think about it. All he did was stand from his chair slowly, his mind in a haze. It was really happening. Val was really there with him. And they were going to dance, just like they should have all those years ago at the homecoming dance.  
  
As Tyler clasped Val's hand in his own and they walked towards the dance floor, Val had only one thought. Easiest five dollars Kiandra has ever made, she thought.  
  
..................................  
  
Jamie squeezed Caitie's hand in his own and smiled down at her. Slowly, his other hand came up to cup her cheek in such a soft touch.  
  
"Caitie," he breathed before leaning forward and touching his lips to her own. Such a simple kiss, but it set off a flurry of fireworks in Caitie's stomach. Oh boy, she thought, I am so glad I came to this thing. She closed her eyes, thoroughly enjoying the sweet contact between Jamie and herself.  
  
Jamie pulled back slowly and rested his forehead against Caitie's. He smiled, not believing what had just happened. Could he have really just kissed her? Wow.  
  
"Caitie," Jamie whispered and Caitie opened her eyes.   
  
"Hmmm?" She asked slowly, not wanting to break the absolute bliss that seemed to envelope them at that moment.  
  
"Let's dance."  
  
.........................................  
  
Melanie blushed and sighed inwardly. So, she had not judged wrong when it came to Hank. Sure, he might think she was pretty, but she had the distinct impression that he cared for her because of more than just her looks. As he had said just seconds before, there was more to her than just a pretty face. So much more.  
  
"Are you still a horrible dancer?" Melanie asked, smiling.  
  
Hank laughed. Oh, so she remembered that too, eh?   
  
"I can hold my own," he answered, issuing the not-so-subtle challenge.  
  
Melanie raised one eyebrow and then laughed. "Well, Doctor Beecham, let's see what you can do."  
  
"Alright then," Hank said, as he reached for Melanie's hand.  
  
Together, they walked to the dance floor.  
  
..........................................  
  
Three couples dancing amidst their classmates from high school. Of course, for those three couples no one else existed except for the person that they were dancing with. There were no business meetings or deadlines to worry about. All there seemed to be in the crepe paper decorated gym were three couples, in their own little worlds.  
  
  
  
  
This is not the end, although I will admit it does sound kind of final, doesn't it? Well, I was planning to do more with this fic. After all, this did start out as a Tyler/Val fic. Plus, Tyler has something to give Val, which was mentioned in the first chapter. So, tell me what you think, k? Review, please. Thanks lots.   



	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own anything IaHB related.   
  
Note: if you have not read the previous chapters, this one might not make a whole heck of a lot of sense. You might want to read the other one's first.  
And don't forget to review. Thanks!  
  
..............................................  
  
Hank and Melanie sat in the small café, sipping at their coffee and catching up. They had been there for hours already, but it seemed to Hank as if it had just been mere minutes. He wished that the night could last forever.   
  
Melanie was so intriguing to him. Not only was she beautiful, but she was smart and he found that he could talk to her on a number of topics. She was wonderful. Perfect. Everything he had always wanted.  
  
And yet, Hank could not help but wonder what would happen when the reunion was over. Would he and Melanie go their separate ways? Would he ever see her again? He didn't want to lose her, not when he had just found her. Not when he had just opened his eyes and really seen her for who she truly was.  
  
He smiled at her and she blushed unconsciously. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen and he wondered if it were possible for him to ever truly live again if she walked away after the reunion.  
  
..............................................  
  
Melanie sipped at her coffee and thought of Hank. He was truly the most amazing person that she had ever met. And she knew that he felt bad for the way he had treated her on that Homecoming night so long ago. It made her feel a bit better to know that.   
  
A shimmer of thrill ran through her body as she realized from perhaps the billionth time that night that she was there with Hank Beecham, the guy she had adored in high school.   
  
She was glad to see that he was such a great guy. He had a wonderful personality, one that Melanie could really get along with. And, of course, he was handsome. He seemed....perfect.  
  
But, Melanie wondered, would happen after the reunion was over? Would he go back to being a doctor and forget all about her? It would kill Melanie if that were to happen. She just couldn't bear the thought of such an occurrence. She liked Hank a lot. And she really wanted to see where it would go. What her feelings would do if given the chance.  
  
That was when she had thought of the trip. It seemed rather easy, really. She had a photo shoot coming up in Chicago. All she would do was conveniently make sure that she ended up in Hank's neighborhood on that day. Then she'd have to stop by his apartment and say hi. After all, that would be the friendly thing to do since she was in the neighborhood. She had it all worked out.   
  
Melanie just wished that she didn't have to wait until the shoot to see Hank again after the reunion was over with.  
  
She sighed inwardly, wishing that there were some way that they could be together.  
  
Hank took another sip of his coffee. Get a grip, Beecham, he thought. She barely knows you right now. If only there was some way we could be together.........  
  
...........................................  
  
Tyler lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He had been trying to go to sleep for the past hour, but no luck. His mind was too busy reminding him of the wonderful night he had had with Val. Everything had been perfect, just how he had planned it.   
They had danced and talked. Danced and talked. He had told her all about his job teaching math to middle school students and she had told him all about her big corporation. He was glad that she had done so well for herself. He just wished that he was a part of that picture too.  
  
After they had left the dance, they had traveled back to the hotel together. Neither of them had been really ready to call it a night, so they had decided to enjoy each other's company a bit longer. They had sat in the lobby reminiscing about all of the fun times that they had had while in high school.  
  
And then, right before they decided to call it a night, Tyler had run up to his room and retrieved the box. The box contained something that he had wanted to give Val for so long, but had never been able to. The time had never been right, it seemed. Now, though, the time seemed even better than ever. They were both there and Tyler thought it was time that Val knew how he had been feeling all those years that he had not called her.  
  
Tyler turned on his side in his bed and exhaled loudly. He just hoped that Val would still talk to him the next day at the dinner after she saw what was in the box.  
  
................................................  
  
Val felt silly. She sat in bed trying to get a grip. But, no matter what she did, the tingling in her stomach would to go away. It may have some sort of reaction to something she ate. But, Val was more inclined to believe that it was the fact that she had danced so much with Tyler. Tyler Connell. Her Tyler. Well, at least, she liked to think he was hers.   
  
And this box that he had given her intrigued her. It was an ordinary brown box from the outside, but Val could just imagine what type of treasure was on the inside. Tyler had said that the box contained something really important to him that he felt he needed to share with her. She still had not gotten up the nerve to open it up. It sat beside her on the bed, calling to her curious nature.  
  
Val leaned over to her right side in the bed and grasped the phone off the nightstand. She sat back up and dialed Kiandra's number into the phone. She knew her friend would definitely get a kick out of this.   
  
"Hello?" a rather tired voice on the other side of the phone asked.  
  
"Hey it's me," Val replied and she could pretty much visualize how Kiandra must have totally woken up right then.  
  
"How's the reunion? How's Tyler? Should I be expecting fiver dollars when you come home?" Kiandra asked, her voice loud enough for Val to realize that her friend was paying full attention now.  
  
She laughed. She never understood how her roommate seemed to know her so well. Kiandra seemed to have known the whole time that Val would end up dancing with Tyler. Was I that obvious, Val wondered.  
  
"The reunion is great. Tyler is fine and yes, you will be getting five dollars when I get home."  
  
"Oh yeah, I called that one, my friend," Kiandra replied into the phone. "I should have bet you more money."  
  
Val laughed again. "We spent a lot of time together tonight and it was great." She thought of how they had spent so much time talking in the lobby of the hotel that night. It had been absolutely wonderful.  
  
"So, why aren't you guy together right now?" Kiandra asked.  
  
"We were both so tired, we decided to call it a night."  
  
"Uh huh," Kiandra replied. "Did he give you a kiss goodnight?"  
  
Val laughed. Leave it to Kiandra to be the queen of tact. Or lack thereof.  
  
"No, but he did give me a box." She looked down at the box beside her on the bed.   
  
"You wanna run that by me again. Did you say the boy gave you a box?"  
  
Val played with the tape that kept the box closed. If she opened it, she would know.....All she had to do was pull at the tape.  
  
"Yeah, he said it held something really important to him," she replied, securing the phone between her cheek and shoulder. Using both her hands, she lifted the box to sit on her lap. Hmmmm, rather light, she thought.  
  
"Awww," Kiandra sighed. "Have you opened this mysterious box yet?"  
  
"No," Val replied, barely listening. Her heart was beating fast again. What could be in the box? What could Tyler possibly want to share with her?   
  
"Well, open it up, girl!" Kiandra all but shouted into the phone. Really, did Val need a written invitation?  
  
Val didn't need any more encouragement. She pulled at the tape greedily, wanting so badly to see what was inside. The tape came off under her fingers and she wadded it up in a ball and placed it on her nightstand. Then she returned her attention the box before her. Slowly, she lifted the flaps and peered inside.  
  
She sighed. "Oh wow," she whispered.  
  
"What? What is it?" The immediate reply came from the other side of the phone.  
  
"Letters..." Val breathed as her mind raced. The box contained letters, tons of them. All addressed to her from Tyler.  
  
She remembered thinking that he had never written to her after they graduated. How wrong she had been. From the looks of the pile in the box, it looked like he had written to her a lot. But, she wondered, how come he had never sent any of the letters?  
  
"Hello? Hello!?! Are you there still?" Kiandra asked through the phone.  
  
Val's mind snapped to the present and to the fact that Kiandra was still on the phone. "Oh! Kiandra, I'm sorry."  
  
"No problem," came the response.  
  
"Listen, I have to, um,...go now," Val said, her mind not really knowing what her mouth was saying.  
  
She could just picture the huge grin on Kiandra's face in her mind. "I'll bet you do have to go," Kiandra said. "Happy reading."  
  
"Yeah, bye," Val responded hastily and then hung up the phone.   
  
Slowly, she reached into the box and smiled as her fingers closed over one of the letters. This will be the first one, she thought as she leaned back against the pillows behind her.  
  
Val opened the letter and began to read.  
  
..............................................   
  
Jamie lay sprawled across his bed in the hotel. A smile played across his lips as he thought about the events that had unfolded that night. He would have been happy to have just seen Caitie that night. But, they had spent the whole dance together, which mean so much to him.  
  
She was exactly how he remembered her- sarcastic wit and all. Jamie as so glad that she hadn't changed. After all, it was the Caitie in high school that he had fallen in love with.  
  
And she seemed genuinely interested in K's Camp, which meant the absolute world to Jamie. For so long, he had wanted to call her up and invite her to come see what he had created. But, fear of her not caring had always stopped him at the last minute. But she did care! He knew that now. Jamie wished that they could skip the rest of the reunion and go there.  
  
And she cared about him. That much was obvious. Jamie smiled again as he thought of how right it had felt when they had been together that night. And when they had kissed..........wow.  
  
He couldn't wait to see her in the morning.  
  
...........................................  
  
Caitie sat at the small table in her room. Her lap top lay open on the table, ready to work. Her fingers roamed over the keys on the keyboard. She was trying to get the chapters done in order to send them to her editor.  
  
She typed in another sentence and looked at the computer screen to see where she was. Caitie sighed. She was having an awfully hard time focusing on her work that night.  
  
".....and then he ran a shaky hand through his dark spiky hair," she read aloud.  
  
Hmmm, she thought, her mind starting to slip away from the words on the screen. Kind of like Jamie's hair, she added in her mind.  
  
Caitie smiled as she thought of how they had danced and danced that night. And when they had stopped dancing, they had talked and talked.  
  
In Caitie's opinion, the whole evening had been............perfect.  
  
She stopped, the smile slowly fading from her face. Perfect? She thought. It sounded way too much like something Val would say. And when had Caitie ever been as mushy as Val over some boy?  
  
Caitie shook her head and laughed. She refused to get mushy about the whole thing between her and Jamie. It wasn't her style. She didn't know what would happen between her and Jamie, but whatever did, Caitie would not be mushy. She just refused to.  
  
Caitie soon returned her thoughts to her chapters, lecturing herself for getting off task. She worked hard for hours into the night. She filled page after page with typed words that she was sure her editor would absolutely love.  
  
The best moment came, though, when she finished the last chapter and hit the save button. She sat back in her chair, allowing her fingers and arms to relax. She had to admit that she was proud of herself. Even though it had been rather hard, Caitie had managed to out all thoughts of the evening and Jamie out of her mind in order to work on her book.  
  
See? She told herself. I will not be mushy.  
  
And then something on the screen caught her eye. She leaned forward, feeling dread creep up into her stomach. She grabbed the mouse and scrolled up three pages in her story. Sure enough, it was there too. Her eyes went wide and she scrolled all the way back to the first page that she had been working on. Yup, it was there too.  
  
The whole section that she had been working on that night was about her main character. The character had been created solely out of her imagination and should not have had any type of similarities to anyone she knew in real life. Yet, the more she proofread her work, the more she realized the mistake she had made.  
  
"Jamie hopped in the car.......," she read.  
  
Her eyes moved down a few lines.  
  
"That was when Jamie realized.......," she read out loud.  
  
Everything would have been just wonderful if the main character in Caitie's novel had been named Jamie. Too bad the main character's name was Thad.  
  
Caitie rolled her eyes. Oh, this is as bad as drawing little hearts with his name in it, she thought. Her eyes drifted guiltily to the waste paper basket across the room where drawings of such hearts were crumpled and laid to rest not too long after she had come home from the dance that night.   
  
I will not be mushy, she told herself. I will not be mushy.  
  
But, this time, Caitie didn't believe it.   
  
  
Please don't forget to review. I' ll try to have the next part out soon.  



	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Well, as much as I would love to, I do not own anything IaHB related. If I did, I would definitely kick Disney's butt for being so dumb and getting rid of the show. Stupid decision. Anyway, I own nothing here.  
Oy, sorry it took so long for me to post more, people. Things have been a bit crazy in school lately. And now registration for next semester is coming up! And Finals! The horror of it all!   
Author's Note: Due to some confusion, I thought perhaps I should mention that I did not mix Melanie with that other chick, Jasmine. I purposely am not writing about Jasmine because in a conversation, Darkchilde and I decided it would be better with Melanie (for those of you who have not seen many eps of this show, Melanie is another chick on the show.) I hope that clears up the confusion.  
I have had a request to put Brooke in this here fic. She will be in the next part, I promise. So, Brooke fans hold out a bit longer, k?  
Please don't forget to review.  
  
  
Okay, here we go:  
  
Hank walked in his hotel room and closed the door behind him. He crossed the room and tossed his room key on the small nightstand before flopping down on his bed. He should have been exhausted, but he wasn't. At that moment, Hank felt as if he could do anything. But, he just lay there, thinking of how wonderful life was.  
  
A silly grin settled on his face as he remembered the night before and how he had spent it with Melanie. First, they had stayed at the café until it had closed. Then they had walked around the small town, noting what had changed since they were there before. They had ended up walking to the high school, where they had sat on the bleachers and watched the sun rise.   
  
It had been a bit chilly outside and when Melanie had started shaking, Hank had wanted to put his arm around her. After all, that was the gentlemanly thing to do. But, when he had moved a bit closer to her in order to put his arm around her, Melanie had seized the moment. She had taken Hank by surprise and kissed him lightly on the cheek. When he looked at her in surprise, he found that she had already lowered her head in embarrassment. Hank had smiled and placed his hand under her chin. He had pushed her chin up so that he could see her eyes. he loved her eyes. They were so enchanting. And then he had leaned forward slowly and kissed her on the lips.  
  
Hank still could not believe that he had spent the night with Melanie. If someone had told him in high school that on the night of their class reunion, he and Melanie would end up kissing while the sun slowly rose in the sky, he would have laughed. Hank would have never guessed that he would spend the night with Melanie. And absolutely fall head over heels in love with her.  
  
Everything had been wonderful.  
  
In fact, the only reason he was not with Melanie at that exact moment was that Melanie had wanted to get in a couple of hours of sleep before the dinner that day at one o'clock that afternoon. Hank knew that he should be getting some sleep too, but he just could not bring himself to close his eyes. No way, he was wide-awake. There was no way he would be able to sleep even if he tried.  
  
Hank reached over to the small nightstand next to his bed and picked up the phone. He dialed the number slowly, the grin still on his face. He couldn't wait to tell Tyler about what had happened to him the night before.  
  
One ring.   
  
Hank heard a soft click as someone picked up the phone on the other end.  
  
"Val?" Tyler asked into the phone, a bit too hopeful.  
  
"Uh, no man, it's me, Hank." Hank answered, stifling a laugh. It seemed he was not the only one thinking about the opposite sex.  
  
"Oh," Tyler replied, trying not to sound disappointed. "I thought Val might have been calling me for............something."  
  
Hank laughed out loud. His friend was so obvious. "How long have you been waiting by the phone for her to call?"  
  
Tyler snickered. "It's that obvious, huh? Look Hank, I gave her the box of letters last night. And I was thinking that maybe it was her calling to talk to me about them."  
  
Hank's eyebrows rose. He was surprised that Tyler had finally given Val The Box. Tyler had first told Hank about the box a few months ago, when Hank had been lucky enough to get him on the phone. Hank had urged Tyler to send the box to Val, but Tyler had refused on the grounds that Val might not feel the same way about things as he did.  
  
But, now he had finally given her the box. No wonder he is waiting anxiously, Hank thought. He's waiting to hear what Val thought of his letters to her.  
  
"Well, I got an idea," Hank said, the grin still on his lips. "Why don't you call her up and ask her what she thought of the letters? And while you're at it, ask her if she wants to go to the station with us to see Alex."  
  
"We're going to the station?" Tyler asked through the phone.  
  
"Yes we are," Hank answered easily.  
  
There was a pause on Tyler's end of the phone and then a sigh. "Okay Hank, I'll call her room and see if she wants to go with us, but I'm not going to mention the letters."  
  
Hank rolled his eyes and smiled even bigger. "You do whatever you want man, just meet me down in the lobby in an hour."  
  
"Okay, I will."  
  
.............................................  
  
Val opened her eyes slowly, and turned over in bed. She was facing her nightstand and her eyes focused on the box that sat there. She smiled. That box had been by far the best present she had ever gotten. And it only meant more that Tyler was the one who had given it to her.  
  
Val had spent most of the night reading all of the letters that had been inside the box. She had read all about where Tyler lived and his job. She had read about how his mother and step-dad were doing. That stuff was all nice and good, but it wasn't what had touched her heart the most.  
  
Tyler had written about his feelings for her in those letters. He had written how much he had admired her in high school. He had written about how much he missed her now that they had graduated. And he had written about how much he had loved her for so long. Val had actually shed a few happy tears when reading that bit. She had wanted Tyler to say such things for so long and now, well now, it was really happening.  
  
There was only one thing she wondered about. Val had been a little confused as to why Tyler hadn't just sent the letters to her in the first place. Surely, he wasn't worried about her not feeling the same way about him. He had to know how she felt, didn't he?  
  
The smile slowly disappeared and a frown settled on her lips. Yeah, she wondered, why hadn't he sent the letters to her?  
  
Val reached across her bed to the little nightstand and was just about to pick up the phone when it rang.   
  
She laughed at the caller's perfect timing and then answered the phone.  
  
"Hello?" She asked politely.  
  
"Val, it' me, Tyler," the voice on the other end of the phone answered.  
  
Val smiled. Just the person I wanted to talk to, she thought as she rolled over in bed so that she was now lying on her back.   
  
"I'm glad you called," she replied. "I was just about to call you."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Tyler asked and Val could have sworn that she had heard a distinct quality of happiness in his voice. He was pleased that she was about to call him, she knew.  
  
"Uh huh. I wanted to ask you something about the present you gave me last night."  
  
Val paused, allowing Tyler time to say something in reply. He has to be wondering what I thought of all these letters, Val thought. Doesn't he? But, Tyler did not say a word and Val realized that perhaps he was waiting for her to continue with what she had wanted to say.  
  
"Actually," she started, "I'd kind of rather talk to you about this in person. Could we meet soon?"  
  
"That's actually why I called you. See, Hank and I were wondering if you would like to go with us to see Alex at the station."  
  
Val closed her eyes. On one hand, she had been hoping to talk to Tyler about the letters as soon as was possible. But, she didn't want to talk about it with him in front of anyone else. It was a private matter between Val and Tyler, not Val, Tyler and all of their friends. On the other hand, she did want to pay Alex a visit and see the old station again. She opened her eyes again as she came to the obvious conclusion.  
  
"Hey, that sounds great," she told Tyler with enthusiasm. "Maybe Brooke will be there too. I wasn't able to get a hold of her before coming back to town. So, it will be a surprise visit to her too."  
  
"Yeah, when did Brooke move back to Kingsport," Tyler asked through the phone.  
  
"Um, about a year ago. She's been working at the station ever since."  
  
"Wow, that's great," Tyler exclaimed. "So, I'll see you in about an hour?"  
  
Val smiled, thinking of all the letters she had read the night before. She glanced over at the box on her nightstand. Absolutely nothing could stop her from seeing Tyler in an hour. She realized that she hadn't asked him about the letters yet, but that was okay. There would be plenty of time for discussing such things, she knew. After all, Tyler had told her exactly how he felt in those letters. Val had absolutely no intention of leaving the reunion before telling Tyler how she felt in return.   
  
"Yeah, I'll meet you in the lobby then."  
  
"Great," Tyler replied. "Oh, and could you call Jamie? He might want to go too."  
  
"Sure," Val answered, thinking about the letters.  
  
.............................................  
  
The shades on the window were down, allowing barely any light into the small room. The room, itself, looked very lived-in.   
  
The solitary chair sat a few feet away from the small table. A leather jacket hung peacefully on its back.  
  
The small table was covered with various items. Pocket change and keys lay in a pile over to one side. An invitation to the class reunion, blue prints of some sort, and a very worn copy of a book were strewn out across the rest of the table.  
  
A suitcase lay open on the floor, clothing completely covering it. Whoever owned the suitcase apparently had not been too worried about wrinkled shirts. It looked as if the suitcase had exploded, spewing out its contents like lava out a volcano.   
  
The only blankets were located at the very end of the bed as if someone had thrown them off in haste. One pillow lay sideways on the bed while the one lay discarded on the floor. By the bed, on the small nightstand, the phone rang. Its shrilly singing should have awoken anyone that could have been sleeping in that room. But, no one was. In fact, no one was in the room to answer the phone at all.  
  
The phone kept ringing.  
  
On the other end of the phone, Val sighed. Where was Jamie so early in the morning?  
  
.............................................  
  
Caitie froze in her bed when she heard the soft click of her door closing. A snake of fear slithered into her heart as she realized that someone was in the room with her. Horrific thoughts streamed through her mind of all the stories she had heard about intruders. Her one small comfort was that she was facing away from the door to her room. The intruder would think she was sleeping if she just stayed still. Thus, she could take whoever it was by surprise.  
  
Oh God, she thought, her heart beating rapidly against her rib cage. Who, she wondered, would break into my hotel room?  
  
"Caitie?" A voice whispered softly as the intruder crossed the small room o the bed where she lay not daring to move.  
  
Caitie closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Relief washed through her entire body as she realized the person in her room was not exactly an intruder. The voice was what had given him away. Caitie would have known that voice anywhere.   
  
She rolled over in her bed and looked at Jamie, who stood silently next to the bed.  
  
"Sneaking into an innocent girl's room, James? I am shocked."  
  
Jamie grinned. "Well, it isn't really sneaking when you bribe the cleaning lady across the hall with five bucks to use her key."  
  
Caitie shook her head. "You probably showed her that smile of yours and she instantly decided to do whatever you wanted."  
  
Jamie chuckled. Caitie wondered for a brief second what had made him come to her room so early in the morning. Could he have possibly tossed and turned as much as she had the night before? She had not been able to stop thinking about him and it had robbed her of some much needed sleep. The only thing that had finally gotten her to sleep was the pleasant thought of playfully yelling at him the next day for not leaving her mind while she was trying to sleep. And yet, here he was and the words did not seem to want to come out.   
Sure, she could still banter with him easily, but the words that she wanted to say the most, seemed stuck in her throat.   
  
Caitie moved over in her bed, making way for Jamie to lay down. Immediately, he hopped on the bed and settled down next to her, crossing his arms over his chest. He lay next to her in silence for just a few seconds as if he were contemplating something heavy. Caitie took this opportunity to truly look at the person she had known pretty much all her life. He was absolutely beautiful and Caitie wished with all her might that she could just take him back to the city with her after the reunion. But, she was no fool. She knew he had his own life and wouldn't want to run away with her. He wouldn't want to leave everything he had just to be with her. Would he?  
  
Jamie turned on his side suddenly, the movement breaking her train of thought.   
  
Jamie propped himself up on his elbow and rested his head against the palm of his hand. He grinned at Caitie. "So, you like my smile?" He asked, slyly.  
  
Caitie opened her mouth, but no sassy words came out readily. Had she said such a statement? Of course not! Well, maybe she had said something like that. Maybe in a kind of inferred way, she thought.  
  
"That's not what I said," she said, trying to grasp an excuse. "What I meant was that other people might find your smile......amazing....but, I do not." Caitie gave Jamie a superior look, trying not to notice that he was laughing at her. "I find your smile rather....common."  
  
Jamie laughed out loud. It was just too funny. Caitie was obviously joking, using her verbal wit, which he had fallen in love with.   
  
"Yeah, well, I think your smile is amazing," he said, seriously. "You're so beautiful."  
  
He watched as a pleasant glow entered Caitie's eyes. Oh, so she likes to be complimented, Jamie thought suddenly. How could he have not known that all the years he had known her? How could he have complimented her before and not noticed the sweet look of happiness in her eyes? She looked pleased with his words.  
  
Encouraged, Jamie reached out and touched her cheek with the palm of his hand. It was warm under his touch and he smiled, thinking how he had kissed her there lightly the night before as they had said goodnight to each other. His eyes returned to the glow in her eyes, a strange new emotion swelling in Jamie's belly.  
  
But, just as suddenly as the glow was there, it was gone. Caitie looked at Jamie, a small frown on her lips. No, Jamie thought, don't do this.  
  
"Jamie," Caitie started after a moment's hesitation. She had to stop this right now. She had to. As much as they might want to be together, it wouldn't work out. They both had their own lives to lead. "I think-."  
  
"Shhh," Jamie whispered, laying a finger lightly across Caitie's lips. "Don't think."  
  
And then he leaned down to kiss her.  
  
..............................................  
  
Val hung up the phone. It was kind of obvious after twelve rings that Jamie was not going to answer the phone. Where could he be, she wondered. It wasn't as if it were in the middle of the afternoon. It was nine in the morning and Val had never pictured Jamie as the early riser. Maybe he's changed since graduation, she thought.  
  
She shook her head as she thought back to the night before. She may have been busy with Tyler at the dance, but she had caught glimpses of Jamie and Caitie every so often. Jamie looked pretty much the same, although Val did marvel at the fact that he was wearing a suit.  
  
One thing Val had noticed, though, was the fact that Jamie and Caitie had not acted as just friends, as they always had been. Val had spotted them dancing really close to each other during a slow song. And later on, she saw them across the gym holding hands as they sat at a table and talked. She remembered smiling at the thought that they perhaps had finally come to realize what everyone else had already known for so long.  
  
Maybe....., Val thought and she picked up the phone again. It was probably a long shot, she knew, but perhaps Caitie would know where Jamie was.  
  
............................................  
  
Jamie pulled away from Caitie slowly and watched as she opened her eyes. He smiled as he recognized the glaze that seemed to cover the irises of her eyes. Ah, so he could affect her. Good, Jamie thought, reveling in his own power.  
  
"C'mere you," he said, reaching out to her. Caitie scooched a bit closer to Jamie as he laid down on his back. She laid her head on his chest, just under his chin, and almost sighed with contentment.   
  
Somewhere deep within her mind, a small sliver of doubt crept up. What happened to stopping this before it got out of hand, her mind seemed to ask. What happened to I will not be mushy?  
  
Jamie wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head softly.   
  
Shut up, Caitie told her mind and then went back to almost sighing with contentment.  
  
"Jamie?" She asked as she listened to his heartbeat through his tee-shirt.  
  
"Hmm?" He responded.  
  
Caitie raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. Here goes nothing, she thought. "How come you never asked me out in high school?"  
  
Jamie smiled at her, a sad little smile, which seemed to convince Caitie that perhaps Jamie had been asking himself the same question ever since they had graduated.  
  
"I didn't think you wanted that sort of thing," he said with a small shrug.   
  
Caitie laid her head back down on his chest. "I did," she replied quietly after a moments silence.  
  
Silence loomed over them. Both Jamie and Caitie had so much that they wanted to say, but the words did not seem to come that easily. So, they lay there together in perfect silence, both knowing that their time together was not long and therefore, precious.  
  
The phone rang, startling both Jamie and Caitie out of their thoughts. Caitie jumped and Jamie held her tighter.  
  
"You okay?" He asked, chuckling as he reached for the phone, which screamed from the bedside table.  
  
"Yeah," Caitie replied, wishing that the phone had not rung at all.   
  
Jamie lifted the phone off its receiver and handed it to Caitie. She accepted it and raised it to her ear before talking.  
  
"This had better be important," she mumbled into the phone.  
  
"Caitie!" A way too chippery voice exclaimed on the other end of the phone. Caitie rolled her eyes and mouthed the name Val to Jamie. Normally, Caitie would have loved to talk to her friend whom she hadn't seen in so long. But, Jamie was there and.....it was just a bad time for Val to have called.  
  
"Oh hey Val," Caitie returned. "How are you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm fine!" Val exclaimed and Caitie vaguely wondered why in God's name did her best friend have to be such a morning person.   
  
"Listen Caitie, I would love to chat, but I'm looking for Jamie right now. Do you know where he is?"  
  
"You've called the right place, Lanier. He's right here," Caitie replied and then handed the phone to a surprised Jamie.  
  
Jamie had barely gotten the phone to his ear when Val started talking again. "Jamie! I tried calling your room and you weren't there. So, I tried here. Anyway, all of us are going to go over to the station and see Alex. We were wondering if you'd like to come too."  
  
"Me?" Jamie asked, still a bit surprised. Sure, he had been on the squad all those years ago. And he was pretty sure that the others had finally accepted him as being part of their team. But, there was always the presence of doubt lingering in the corners of his mind. It made him wonder if they ever had really considered him to be part of their squad.  
  
"Sure, Jamie. After all, you were part of the team too." Val said it so casually that it made Jamie smile. Well, perhaps the doubt in his mind was all for naught. Perhaps they had accepted him wholeheartedly years ago.  
  
"Yeah, sure, I'll come," Jamie replied. "So what are you guys doing? Meeting in the lobby?"  
  
"Yup," Val said, her words sugared with perkiness. "See you there. Oh, and bring Caitie along. I haven't seen her in ages."  
  
"Will do," Jamie replied and then hung the phone back up.  
  
He looked down at Caitie, who was still nestled against his chest. "Wanna go visit some old friends?" He asked.  
  
............................................  
  
Alex had been expecting them to come to the station. After all, the station had played such a big role in all of their lives when they were in high school. So, when he had heard about the reunion, Alex had only smiled because he knew that they would come see him too.  
  
He had kept tabs on all of them since they had left Kingsport. He knew all about Val's big company and Hank's working as a pediatrician. Then, of course, there was Tyler's job as a math teacher. Alex had even read Caitie's books. She may not have been part of the squad, but she was around enough for him to get to know her.   
  
But, the one person Alex was extremely proud of was Jamie. When Jamie had first come to the squad, he had had a huge chip on his shoulder. No one had as much attitude as Jamie had had. At their first meeting, Jamie had showed how much he disrespected authority and how much he didn't really want to be on the squad. Alex had been ready to write the young boy off right then and there. But, then something had happened. Jamie had told Alex that he could and would do the job well, just to tick Alex off. That type of determination made Alex respect Jamie a bit.  
  
Over time, Jamie had proved himself as a great EMT many times. Alex had actually grown to like the kid, even though he sometimes did things his own way by his own rules. The big surprise for Alex, though, came when Jamie was given the choice of staying on the squad or leaving. See, Jamie's community service had been almost up and Alex had really expected Jamie to run as fast as he could away from the station. But, Jamie had done exactly the opposite. He had stayed. That showed Alex what a fine person Jamie Waite really was.  
  
Now, Jamie had built K's Camp. Alex was somewhat surprised that that was the sort of work that Jamie had gone into. But, nevertheless, Alex was extremely proud of Jamie. He had really done well for himself and even though he was not on the squad anymore, he was still helping people.  
  
Alex looked around the small common room at all of his former EMTs. Hank was sitting in the chair across from him, a big goofy grin on his face. It was the same grin that Hank had worn since he had entered the station. Adjacent to Hank's chair was the couch in which Jamie, Caitie, Val and Tyler sat. Jamie and Caitie were holding hands and looking around nonchalantly as if they had always held hands with each other. Good for them, Alex thought.  
  
He looked over at Val and Tyler, who kept exchanging secret looks when they thought no one was looking. Alex almost laughed out loud as he saw Tyler inch a bit closer to Val. Even as adults, the two still acted the same as they had in high school.   
  
"I'm so glad you all came to see me," Alex said, smiling at the five people before him. It was funny, out of all the kids who had ever worked in the EMS program, Alex had liked these ones the best. "You all have done so well for yourselves. I mean, there's Hank, who is a doctor now. And Caitie, the famous author. Jamie runs a camp for kids with cancer. Val is the big business woman and Tyler is the math teacher."  
  
They all smiled at each other, each realizing how much they had missed the others.  
  
"It's too bad Brooke isn't here," Val mentioned.   
  
"Yes, well, she wanted the day off so that she could help set up for the dinner this afternoon. You'll see her there," Alex said.   
  
Alex cleared his throat. "And it looks as if all of you have found something else at the reunion that you maybe weren't expecting." He looked pointedly at Jamie and Caitie, who returned his smile.  
  
"Yeah," Hank replied, thinking of Melanie and how he would see her again in just a few hours.  
  
Tyler turned to Val and smiled. "Yeah, I think we did," he said.  
  
"Good," Alex said. 'So, now that you all have found this something, what happens next?"  
  
Five faces looked back at Alex blankly. They had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next. So far the reunion had been perfect. They each were with the person they belonged with. So, what was the problem? Well, they all had their own lives. None of them wanted to drop everything they had worked so hard for. But, on the other hand, Jamie did want so much to be with Caitie. Tyler wanted to be with Val and Hank wanted nothing more than to grow old with Melanie. But, how could they do that when they had their separate lives?  
  
Alex's question was a hard one. It immediately woke the five people across from him from their dreaming and into the world of reality.   
  
So, what would happen next?  
  
  
  
Hehehe. K, hope you guys liked this part. I'm truly hoping to get this fic finished soon. Please, please, please review, people. I like reading reviews. And they always make me think of new things to put in my fics.  



	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing IaHB related. Although if I did........  
Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this fic so far. I love getting the reviews. They totally make my day. And I am so sorry that it took so long for this next part to come out. I was being a smidge lazy. Thanks to Bea and Darkchilde for keeping on me about writing. Bea always asks how my writing is going. She's such a sweetie! And Darkchilde always asks for the next part of "Second Chances" every time we talk. Hehehehe. S'okay, I do the same thing with her about her fics. So, thanks guys. You helped me to get off my lazy butt and finish this part. :)  
  
  
  
She had arrived back at her room just a while before. Jamie had walked her to the door and them had mumbled something about getting some work done before the dinner. He had kissed her cheek and then had walked away down the hall to his own room. At the time, Caitie had shrugged it off and had thought that she could use the extra time to work on her next chapters. She had sat down in front of her computer and that's where she still was a bit later.  
  
Caitie stared at the blank screen in front of her. She hadn't been able to write anything because, for the life of her, she could not remember where she had wanted her story to go. It was as if there was a wall in her mind, blocking her from what she wanted to remember.  
  
But, the question was, what was the block? Normally, Caitie had no trouble writing. Usually, she would sit in front of her laptop and be able to type away for hours on end. She would allow the real world to dissolve away as she slipped further into her imagination. But, this time it was different. This time she couldn't seem to concentrate at all. What was it that was burning into her mind so intensely that she couldn't seem to do anything worthwhile?  
  
"Jamie," she whispered, shaking her head. Of course, she thought, that's what the problem was.  
  
But, was it a problem? She truly loved Jamie and it was evident from his actions that he had feelings for her too. After all, Jamie had been the one to sneak into her room that morning. And he had kissed her at the dance the night before. So, the problem couldn't be that he didn't care for her because that simply was not true.  
  
The problem, Caitie thought to herself as she leaned back in her chair, is that he does care. It would have been easier, she knew, if Jamie had no feelings for her at all. Sure, she would have been upset and it would have taken her a while to get over it. But, with Jamie having feelings for her, it was going to be a heck of a lot harder to leave him.  
  
............................................  
  
Jamie lay on the bed in his room, staring at the ceiling. His fingers were entwined behind his head and his ankles were crossed. The picture of pure comfort. Too bad he felt awful.  
  
He hadn't even bothered to turn the light to his room on or to pull up the shades on the window. He liked the dark; it was easier to think in the dark.  
  
Jamie sighed. What am I going to do, he wondered. He was totally and absolutely in love with Caitie. And he totally and absolutely did not want to leave her. He had waited so long just to tell Caitie how he truly felt about her. And when he had told her, it had turned out that she had felt the same for him too! It just didn't seem to Jamie as if it were fair that he would have to leave her now.   
  
But, Alex had brought up a viable question. What was going to happen with the couples now? We were all so caught up in being with each other, that we didn't realize that it would be over so soon, he thought. But, Alex's question had brought them back to reality in a hurry.  
  
Tomorrow Jamie would be heading back to K's Camp. He wished with all his might that Caitie would go with him. He wanted to show her what he had built. He wanted to introduce her to Mike and the kids. She'd love the kids, he knew. After all, how could anyone not love their innocent little faces and their brave demeanors? She would fall in love with it all and decide to stay. With him. At least, that's how Jamie wished it could happen. But, he knew she had her own life to live. How could he possibly ask her to give it all up for him?  
  
Jamie just hoped that time would go slow at the dinner and afterward that night. He wanted to enjoy whatever time he had left with Caitie.  
  
..........................................  
  
"So what happened after you guys left the station?"  
  
Val cradled the phone between her left ear and shoulder. She crossed her legs so that she was sitting Indian style on her bed. Her actions almost made her smile because it reminded her of being a teenager again, talking on the phone with one of her close friends about boys. All she needed was a teddy bear or pillow to clutch, right?   
  
Then she sighed. "Well, we walked back to the hotel in basically total silence. Tyler looked really troubled about something."  
  
Kiandra, on the other side of the phone, snickered. "Gee, I wonder what could be on his mind. Perhaps a certain blond girl?"  
  
"See, that's the problem. When I first got here, seeing him again was great. He was great. The dance was great. It was all just......"  
  
"Great?" Kiandra supplied dryly. "So what's the problem, then?"   
  
Val sighed and toyed with the phone cord. What was the problem? The problem was that she and Tyler had gotten close- too close- over the last couple of days. Oh, they had been close before, but this time it was different. This time they had stepped slowly over the line of friendship into something a bit more. Of course, neither Tyler nor Val had really stopped to consider what that something was. They had simply lived in the moment.  
  
Now, though, they were confronted with everything they had neglected to think of before. Tomorrow Val would be leaving to go back to her high corporate job and her lonely life. Tyler would go back to teaching math in high school. Their lives would be as separate as they had been for the years before the reunion. Val didn't even want to think about the possibility of never hearing from Tyler again until the next reunion.  
  
"The problem is," she started slowly, knowing there was no point in trying to make up an excuse. Kiandra had known her for years and Val knew that she would see through any lie anyway. "The problem is that I don't want to say good-bye to Tyler. I just don't want to do that yet."  
  
Kiandra exhaled loudly. So that was the big problem. It was as she had expected. And Kiandra did not know what to say. Usually, she knew exactly what to say to Val in order to make her feel better. It had always just worked like that and Kiandra knew that sometimes Val relied on her to say just the right thing. But, this time, Kiandra was at a loss for words. He friend was in quite a hard position and Kiandra had no idea what to say in order to make it sound better than it really was.  
  
"Well, you aren't going to say bye to him yet, are you? I mean, you are going to bring him back here so that I came meet the famous Tyler, right?" Kiandra asked. She rolled her eyes and almost smacked her own forehead at how incredibly dumb her last remark had sounded. She knew the suggestion was weak, but it was all she had. Besides, Kiandra thought, it will buy more time for Val and Tyler to be together.  
  
"Kiandra!" Val exclaimed as she raised her left hand up to grab the phone, which was slipping off her shoulder. She raised the phone back up to her ear. "I can't just ask him to put everything that he might have planned on hold in order to come meet you!"  
  
"Yeah, well, he might, you never know. Ask him," Kiandra replied and she smiled. She could tell the wheels were turning in Val's head as she contemplated the idea of Kiandra's. Sure, it had started out as a pretty weak idea, but......Well, what if..........  
  
"I am not going to ask him," Val stated. Really, where had Kiandra gotten such an idea? She couldn't ask Tyler to go with her back to the city just to meet her roommate. It was preposterous. And besides, Val added in her mind, he probably needs to get back home because he probably has to teach on Monday.  
  
"Ask him," Kiandra repeated.  
  
"No!" Val responded quickly. There was absolutely no way she was going to ask Tyler something so ludicrous. As much as she'd love to bring Tyler home with her, it was just not going to happen.  
  
Val had to congratulate herself. It really would have been easy enough to juts agree with what Kiandra said and give it a try. But, Val knew better than to daydream about what could happen. Alex's question had allowed her to get her head out of the clouds and back down into reality where it belonged. She knew that tomorrow she would leave Tyler behind. It was just something she could not get around or prevent.  
  
"Ask him. You know you want to," Kiandra said again, a smile growing slowly on her face.  
  
"Kiandra, this is ridiculous. I am not going to ask him anything of the sort and if you mention it again, I'll hang up."  
  
Kiandra snickered quietly. She could tell that Val was getting riled up over the idea and this made her smile. It could only mean one thing. Val wished that Kiandra's idea would work. Yes, Kiandra knew her friend well. Val, it seemed, was giving a lot of thought to Kiandra's idea, even if she didn't think it could work. Time to go in for the kill, Kiandra thought.  
  
See, an idea had entered Kiandra's mind while talking to Val. It seemed like such a foolish plan, but she knew it would work. Hey, it had worked before.  
  
"Okay, how about this? I bet you that great fleece sweater that we both loved in the mall that you will end up bringing Tyler home with you." Kiandra smiled a devilish sort of grin and her eyes danced with mischief.   
  
Whoa, Val thought, the competitive spirit within her suddenly thriving. Now, she's playing hardball. The fleece sweater had cost at least 50 dollars when they had been to the mall last. Neither girl had wanted to spend so much money on the sweater. But, that had not stopped them from trying it on in the store's dressing room. It had fit both girls perfectly and Val had fallen absolutely in love with it. And now, here was her chance to make it her own.   
  
It would be so easy, she knew. All she had to do was not ask Tyler to go home with her. Easy. No problem. She wasn't planning on asking him anyway. That sweater would be hers.  
  
"Okay," Val responded slyly. "It's a deal. Oh, and I would like the sweater in baby blue, please."  
  
Kiandra laughed as she noticed Val's voice taking on its familiar competitive tone. "Okay, and if I win, I want it in red."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Kiandra hung up the phone and walked over to the closet in her room, intent on making room for the sweater that would be hanging there soon.  
  
............................................   
  
Tyler stared glumly at Hank. Hank stared glumly back at Tyler. Suffice it to say, they were two very unhappy individuals.  
  
They both had come back from the station lost in deep thought. Numbly, Tyler had told Val that he would see her later and then both Tyler and Hank had boarded the elevator. Not a word had been spoken as the elevator rose to floor three. The doors had opened and in total silence, they had walked down the hall to Tyler's room. And now, they sat across from each other.  
  
A dreadful silence hung over the room. It was a rather awkward, unsettling one. Both boys were so wrapped up in their own worries and uncertainties that they didn't even notice as the minutes flew by. The only sound in the room was the occasional shifting to a more comfortable position in their respective chairs.  
  
Thoughts sat heavily in both Tyler and Hank's minds. These thoughts, which they had been dreading since the dance the night before were what was causing them not to converse. They should have been using their time catching up on what had been happening in one another's life. Yet, those thoughts.........they were dismal, like a rainy day. And they allowed Tyler and Hank to do nothing else but sit numbly in the hotel room and ponder the inevitable.   
  
"Well, the station looked like it was still in good shape," Tyler said, breaking the bleak silence. It was a weak attempt to start a conversation and get both his and Hank's minds off the real problems facing them. Tyler knew it was weak, but hey, at least he was trying.  
  
"Yeah," Hank said, his eyes affixed on the wall behind Tyler's shoulder. He knew Tyler was trying to start up a conversation, but Hank's mind didn't want to focus on anything Tyler was saying. At that moment, there was only one thing that Hank wanted to think about. Melanie. Oh man, what am I going to do? He thought silently.  
  
"What are you going to do about Val?" Hank asked suddenly.  
  
Tyler grimaced. Oh, that truly was a good question, indeed. Wasn't it exactly what he had been asking himself since they had left the station? Tyler just wished he knew the answer to it.  
  
"I don't know, man. I just don't know."  
  
Hank nodded and leaned back in her chair to rest his head against the wall behind him. Tyler noticed the somewhat dazed look in his friend's eyes and he wondered if Hank had even heard his answer at all. After all, Tyler knew Hank was in the same position with Melanie that he was in with Val. And, Tyler thought, watching his friend carefully, I'll bet his mind is focused on only one thing right now. Yes, Tyler could definitely relate to how Hank felt.  
  
"What are you going to do about Melanie?" Tyler asked suddenly, hoping that Hank knew what to do. Hank had always seemed to have answers before when they had been in high school and Tyler had always valued his friend's counsel. Maybe Hank has an idea as to what to do, Tyler thought suddenly, hope welling up inside of him.  
  
There was another silence and Tyler again wondered if Hank had even heard him. Is he that far gone? He thought, when Hank did not answer right away.  
  
After a moment, Hank sighed and looked his best friend straight in the eye. "I'm going to let her go."  
  
Whatever answer or counsel Tyler had been expecting, it had not been this. Let her go? No, Tyler thought, he can't do that. I can't do that with Val.  
  
"But, you guys just found each other. You can't just-," Tyler started, falling over his words as his mind tried to understand where Hank was coming from. It was no use. He just couldn't understand what was happening in Hank's mind.  
  
"You can't just give up," Tyler said quietly.  
  
Hank laughed coldly and shook his head. "Tyler, Melanie and I lead different lives. How could I possibly ask her to give up her life, her dreams, to be with me? No, I just couldn't do it. So, I am doing the only thing I can. Tomorrow, I will say good-bye to her and watch her leave."  
  
Hank swallowed hard before saying his next words. "And I will not do a thing to stop her."  
  
Tyler's mind turned dark. No, he thought, refusing to fully comprehend what Hank had just said. Hank had always been the voice of reason, the mature one of the group. If he said that there was no chance for him and Melanie......then, there was no chance for Val and Tyler either. Tyler did not even want to think about that.  
  
"But--," he began, but Hank cut him off.  
  
"Tyler, it's the best thing for her. I'm doing it for her. Besides, it's probably what she wants anyway."  
  
..................................................  
  
Melanie was feeling a bit giddy. It was funny, she had returned to her room that morning to get some sleep before the dinner. But, she had never ended up sleeping. Ever since she had stepped foot into her room, she had been on the phone making the necessary arrangements.   
  
Sure, her agent had not been exactly thrilled when he had found out that Melanie was backing out of the next few shows and shoots. In fact, he had been aghast, wondering out loud what exactly Melanie had to do that was more important than the photo shoot in New York and the show in Milan. It was then that Melanie had told her agent about Hank. And slowly, her agent had warmed to Melanie's wishes as he always inevitably did. After all, Theo, her agent, was such a hopeless romantic at heart.   
  
So, now, everything was almost set and Melanie could not wait to tell Hank. She could just picture the surprise in his brown eyes as she told him her big news. It would be great, she knew. After all, Hank would want to be with her, wouldn't he?  
  
.................................................  
  
"So, they seemed a bit out of sorts after you asked them that, huh?" Brooke asked into the phone and she listened as Alex explained to her how everyone had acted at the station.  
  
"Hmm, yeah, well, you called the right place, Alex. I'm sure I can figure something out to make them all realize exactly what should happen next."  
  
Brooke hugged her clipboard closer to her chest and thought about what Alex had just told her. So, the old gang was having some trouble making up their minds, it seemed. Well, Brooke thought, I'll just help them in the right direction.  
  
"Listen Alex, I have to go. Talk to you later. Bye."   
  
Brooke pushed the off button on her cell phone and shoved it into the small holder on her belt. Then she raised her eyes to look around the room that she had helped to decorate. Balloons and Crepe paper were everywhere.   
  
But, the real success was the tables. Circular tables covered in white tablecloths were spaced evenly throughout the room. The shiny dinnerware had already been laid out in perfect formation. And the small folded cards with the diner's name sat neatly behind each plate. Each table was pure perfection because Brooke had made sure it was.  
  
Brooke glanced down at her clipboard to make sure everything was in order. Perfect, she thought as she scanned the names of people she didn't even know that would be sitting at each table.   
  
Her eyes picked over each name as if searching for something in particular. She stopped when her eyes came to the first familiar name. She looked around the name on her sheet to see who that person's dinner companions would be. No, she thought shaking her head. That won't do at all.  
  
She reached up and grabbed the pencil that had been tucked behind her ear and she erased the name from that table and placed it at another table.  
  
Down the list of tables her eyes wandered again, stopping every so often as she picked out a familiar name and moved it to another table.   
  
A few minutes later, Brooke smiled as she glanced at her new seating chart. Now, she thought, it is perfect.  
  
"Hey guys," she called across the room to the other volunteers. "Can you guys help me for a minute? Some of these name cards are at the wrong tables. See, some of these people have to sit together......"   
  
  
  
Okay, I am truly hoping that the next part will be out soon, everyone. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks lots.  



	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: As everyone else around here knows, I own nothing IaHB related. If I did, things would be quite interesting indeed. :)  
Note: Okay, well first of all- the important stuff. Bea, July is good for me. Finals will be over with and I will be back from vacation by then. Just let me know when in July is good for everyone else involved. (Okay people, I am talking about an inside joke involving certain people, some duct tape, a getaway car and Darkchilde's basement.   
Darkchilde's mom: "What was that noise coming from the basement?"  
Darkchilde: "Oh that........ it's just the television. I think Arcadia is watching Dawson's Creek or something." *smiles very angelically*)  
  
K, that aside, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Thank you to all of the people who have read all of it so far and have reviewed. You guys are great! Thanks muchly! Please review this when you are done and tell me what you think.  
  
  
  
  
Jamie stood in Caitie's room and listened to the muffled sounds of water behind the bathroom door. He smiled as he let his mind wander in thought. Wouldn't it be nice, he thought, to be able to hear the sounds of Caitie taking a shower every morning? Wouldn't it be nice if she lived with me?   
  
The smile faded a bit from his face to be replaced with a frown. What am I talking about, he thought. It's not going to happen. He lightly touched the laptop computer that sat open on her desk and cursed it at the same time. If it weren't for her work......But, why can't she do her work where I am, he wondered. She is a writer, she can write where I am. Or am I just being selfish, he wondered.   
  
The sound of the shower being turned off caught his attention and he turned to stare at the closed door. Wouldn't it be nice.........  
  
"Are you almost done?" Jamie asked as his mood darkened. He had been wanting to see Caitie again for so long, but now he almost wished he had never come to the reunion at all. Maybe I shouldn't have come, he thought. Maybe I should have just been happy with the camp and not worried about Caitie or what could have happened between us.  
  
"Give me a few more minutes," A voice rang out behind the door and Jamie sighed. Why did girls have to take so long to get ready anyway?   
  
Jamie shook his head, a slim ray of light breaking through his dark mood. A smile of fondness crept up on his lips. Boy, would he miss her. He would miss how beautiful she was and how he seemed to forget everything when he kissed her. And how they just seemed so perfect for each other. And how she seemed to take forever to get ready to go anywhere.  
  
"Hurry up," he said playfully, waiting for the sarcastic retort that he knew he would get.  
  
"I am!" Caitie exclaimed from the bathroom and Jamie broke out into a full-fledged grin. "Girls take longer to get ready, you know. We can't just throw on any old thing and rush out the door like you guys!"  
  
Jamie shook his head and wished with all his might that he could hear that voice and its sarcastic wit everyday for the rest of his life. If only...... But, how many times had he said 'if only' since seeing Caitie again. If only he would get up the nerve to kiss her. If only she would feel the same about him. If only she would live with him forever. If only.......  
  
He cast his eyes towards the floor, knowing that his mood was darkening again. He didn't want to leave Caitie, that was for sure. But, how could he convince her to go with him instead of returning to her own life. It would be too much, he knew. And it would be wrong. She had created that life for herself and it would be wrong for him to ask her to leave it. The best thing he could do was just keep quiet about how he felt. Then they could both go back to the lives they had led before the reunion.  
  
And yet....... And yet, here he was standing in her room, wishing that she would leave the life she created. Leave it all just for him.   
  
Jamie tried to push those thoughts away. His eyes wandered aimlessly around her room, trying desperately to get his mind off what the next morning would bring. It doesn't matter, he thought. We'll just have to make the best of tonight.  
  
"Jamie?" A voice called out from the bathroom and he jumped. He hadn't realized that he was so deep in thought.  
  
"Yeah?" He answered, his voice sounding as depressed as he was starting to feel. Her voice was just so sweet and it pained Jamie to think that he might not be able to hear it again for so long.   
  
"I left my lotion in my suitcase, on the left side. Could you get it for me and pass it through the door?"  
  
Jamie nodded, even though he knew Caitie could not see him behind the closed door. Didn't she realize that he would do anything for her? Anything at all if it meant that they could be together.   
  
He crossed the room to where her suitcase sat on the floor. Kneeling down in front of it, Jamie quickly unzipped the sides and pulled up the front. And he smiled, his first genuine smile of the day. And then a snicker escaped his lips as he studied the object on top of Caitie's clothes in the suitcase.  
  
He reached into the suitcase and his fingers closed over the right side of the picture in front of him. He raised it from the suitcase so that he could have a better look at it. There she was in a football uniform, holding the helmet in the crook of her arm. The pads underneath the jersey made her look so small in comparison. And he stood next to her in the cheerleading outfit he had borrowed from Val. He laughed as he noticed the long blonde locks falling around his shoulders. Man, that wig had been so annoying.  
  
Yes, he remembered that night. He and Caitie had abhorred the idea of the dance and had almost not even gone. After all, it would just be a jock and jockette fest. Sports had never been Caitie's or Jamie's thing. But, then they had gotten the idea. They would show everyone what they thought of sports players. So, Jamie had donned a cheerleading outfit and Caitie wore the football outfit. It had been great.  
  
And now, looking at the picture, Jamie couldn't help but smile as a million memories of he and Caitie came rushing back at him. The night that Kenny had gotten hurt and Caitie had gone to the hospital with Jamie to make sure he was okay.........The time that she had met Bobbie. Man, Jamie thought, Caitie had not liked her at all. And then there was the time that they got in the contest with Val and the rest of the preps to see who could collect the most bottles and cans. They had done so much together and then after graduation it had all stopped because they had left each other to pursue their own lives- their own dreams.  
  
Jamie looked harder at the picture and tried to remember what he had been thinking that night. Had he realized how much he had liked Caitie yet? Or, at that time, was he still trying to pretend that the funny feeling in the pit of his stomach every time she came near only meant he was coming down with some kind of flu?  
  
"Jamie? What, did you get lost on the way to my suitcase?" Caitie called, pulling Jamie out of his thoughts.  
  
He snickered and placed the picture back in her suitcase carefully. And then as he had been instructed, Jamie looked on the left side of her suitcase under a pile of clothes. He reached to the very bottom of the suitcase and smiled as his fingers closed over the plastic bottle of lotion. Pulling the bottle out of the suitcase, Jamie read the label. "Peach Nectar", he read outloud. He bet she would look great tonight as usual but ah, she would smell good as well.  
  
A smile lingered on his lips as he stood and crossed the small room to the bathroom door. He knocked softly, waiting for just a glimpse of her face to appear.   
  
Caitie pulled the door open and Jamie's jaw almost dropped to the floor. It could have been the fact that Caitie's wet hair was hanging down around her shoulders. He had always liked her hair when it was down. Or it could have been the fact that all she wore was a towel, the top of it clutched together in her fist. Too bad the towel was so big, his mind thought vaguely as he held out the lotion for her to take.   
  
In any case, she was beautiful. A goddess, in Jamie's opinion. How can I just leave her tomorrow, Jamie thought, saddened.   
  
"Well, I am glad that you found it," Caitie said, not noticing the sad look in her friend's eyes. "It took you long enough."  
  
Caitie reached out for the bottle of lotion, her fingers closing over the top. She tugged on the bottle, wanting to pull it from Jamie's grip. But, he held onto it tightly, as if he did not want to let it go. Caitie looked down at Jamie's grip on the bottle and realized that his knuckles were white. Whoa, Caitie thought. What was wrong with him?  
  
"Um Jamie, you need to let go of the bottle. It hasn't done anything to you," Caitie laughed. "Stop holding the lotion hostage, Jamie."  
  
And then she made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. Of course, she had seen them before. Even that weekend, she had found herself staring at them so often that Caitie was sure their image was branded on her brain for life. But, now, they looked different. She had never seen them look so incredibly sad before. He was looking at her intensely, as if she were the most important aspect of his life at that moment. As if he wanted to say something to her and yet, could not seem to find the words. And it bothered her deeply. Why was he so sad, she wondered.   
  
"Jamie," she said slowly, suddenly worried about the melancholy expression that she found in his eyes. All she wanted to do was shake him from his dreary state. "Jamie," she whispered, much quieter this time.  
  
Jamie closed his eyes slowly, thinking of all the times that he and Caitie had shared. Memories flitted through his mind quickly, too quick for him to latch onto one and really think about it. He shook his head, trying to get rid of his thoughts. It didn't matter how he felt, he knew. No, because tomorrow was still going to come whether he wanted it or not. He was still going to be leaving Caitie in the morning.  
  
Jamie opened his eyes and fixed them back on Caitie. He could see the concern in her eyes and it pained him that he couldn't even tell her why he felt this way. After all, what difference would it make? She would still leave.  
  
"Here," he said, his voice a bit hoarse. He let go of the bottle of lotion and she accepted it slowly.  
  
Jamie stared at her for only a moment longer before turning around and walking out of the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, not knowing what to do next. It had taken all of his energy to walk out of the bathroom without screaming in frustration. And he could just picture the hurt expression that graced Caitie's face then. She was probably surprised and confused all in one over his behavior. And he really could not blame her. All he wanted was to be with her forever. Was that really too much to ask?  
  
Jamie glanced down towards the floor, wondering why he had come to the reunion in the first place. Had he really thought that this story would have a happy ending? Had he really thought that Caitie would automatically give up everything for him? How selfish am I, he wondered.  
  
Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a crumpled piece of paper lying next to the doorway. It sat between the edge of the bathroom door and the garbage, as if someone had thrown it towards the garbage and missed by mere inches.   
  
Jamie knelt, intent on picking up the paper and throwing it in its rightful place. But, something caught his eye as he picked it up. Through one of the crumples in the paper, Jamie could read the word "loves". Intrigued, Jamie opened up the paper to see what was written on the inside. He knew that it was none of his business what was written there. But, that word still intrigued him so much.   
  
He smoothed out the paper on his bent knee and then let his eyes fly over the words, allowing them to pour into his mind and his soul.   
  
"Caitie loves Jamie," it read in a little heart.  
  
Jamie chuckled, recognizing Caitie's handwriting. It was so unlike her to be so.......well, girly. He had never known her to write people's names in hearts as she had done here. That was always something more like what Val would do. Not his Caitie. And the paper is crumpled, he thought. She had meant to throw this away.  
  
Jamie could just imagine Caitie sitting at the small table in her room drawing the little heart that was on the paper. And then she had probably realized how mushy she was being, he thought. And in embarrassment, she had crumpled up the paper and tried to throw the evidence of her mushiness away, he surmised. Except she had not done a good job of getting rid of it since he had found it so easily.  
  
Well, Jamie thought. Since she was so eager to get rid of it, she won't mind if I just take it.  
  
Jamie folded the paper neatly and placed it in his back pocket. Yeah, he might not be able to take her with him tomorrow, but at least he would always know exactly what she had thought of him. The few words on the paper told him that much.  
  
Jamie stood from his kneeling position on the floor and smiled a ghostly smile. The next day seemed too close for comfort.   
  
............................................  
  
Brooke stood in the doorway of the gym and watched as the diners made their way to the right tables. People exclaimed and hugged each other as they finally saw lost friends that had not been seen for years. Everyone talked excitedly to each other and glanced around the room for just a glimpse of someone else that they may not have seen since high school.   
  
It was a night for reunions and old friendships renewed.   
  
Brooke smiled, knowing that she had pulled off the arrangement of the tables all by herself. And as she looked around the room, she was pleased to notice that almost all of the tables were full. Almost all of the tables had all of their occupants there, waiting to be served the first course of their dinner. Almost all of the tables.  
  
She frowned as she noticed the one single table in the very middle of the room. It was totally empty, not a chair out of place. Brooke hadn't seen any of her special guests arrive yet. Thus, her position at the door. As far as Brooke was concerned, her special guests would experience a dinner to remember. She would make sure to that.  
  
After all, Brooke thought as she glanced out the doorway of the gym, it is a night for reunions and old friendships renewed.  
  
.............................................  
  
Caitie and Jamie approached the door of the gym slowly. It was as if neither of them really wanted to go inside. To go inside meant that their time together was really coming to an end. And of course, Caitie did not want to think about that at all.   
  
Things had been so wonderful between her and Jamie at the reunion and she truly wondered if her life would ever be the same after she left Kingsport the next day. And how can I just leave him, she asked herself as they got closer to the door.  
  
"Jamie! Caitie!" A chipper voice called from the doorway.   
  
Caitie pulled herself out of her sad thoughts and focused on owner of the voice.   
  
Brooke stood in the doorway, her eyes lighting up with excitement and........ was that a bit of mischief Caitie saw as well?......at the sight of them. She was holding a clipboard of some sort and a pencil was sticking out from behind one of her ears. Caitie smiled. Yes, Brooke looked the same as she had whenever Caitie had visited the EMS station in high school.   
  
"Hey Brooke," Jamie said with his own smile.  
  
Caitie looked at him quizzically. Why did his voice sound so tired, she wondered. Caitie was still not sure what had been going though his mind when he had held so tightly to her lotion in the bathroom. But, whatever he had been thinking had been serious, of that she was sure. And she had been surprised when he had finally just handed her the bottle of lotion and had left as if nothing had happened. But, something had. Something was on his mind, Caitie knew, and she wished she knew exactly what it was. She didn't want him to waste their last evening together being depressed. She wanted him to enjoy it as much as possible. It truly would be their last.  
  
"Hi Brooke," she said quietly and she stepped forward as Brooke enveloped her in a sisterly hug. It was good seeing Brooke again. To Caitie, it had been way too long since she had seen her 'little sister'. Of course, that's what Brooke was to her. She always had been and always would be.  
  
When Brooke stepped back, Caitie could swear that she saw the mischief in her eyes again. Something was up, Caitie knew. But, she said nothing. Hey, if it will make the evening a bit more entertaining, she thought, so be it.  
  
"Welcome to Chez Brooke," Brooke said as she bowed. "Tonight will be a night to remember. Now, let me just show you to your table. Please follow me."  
  
Brooke turned on her heel and started across the gym, not waiting to see if Jamie and Caitie were coming. She knew they would.  
  
When they reached the table, Brooke pointed to two seats close to her. "You guys sit here," she said.  
  
"Wow, we're the first ones here," Caitie commented as she slid into her chair.  
  
"Yes, well, your dinner companions should be arriving any minute," Brooke said, her formality causing Jamie to snicker.  
  
Caitie elbowed him in the ribs and he fell silent. He did look at her, though, with the same hurt look that he had had on his face in the bathroom. Caitie stared back at him, silently questioning what was wrong with him.  
  
Brooke noticed the exchange of looks and smiled. Good, she thought. Everything is going perfectly. "Wait right here and your waiter will be here shortly."  
  
Neither Jamie nor Caitie made any movement to suggest that they had heard her at all. They simply stared at each other, lost in their own little world where other people did not exist.  
  
Brooke walked away from the table and smiled. The mischief in her eyes much more evident now. Yup, everything was going perfectly.   
  
She raised her clipboard up and snatched the pencil that had been behind her ear. Slowly, she drew a check mark next to two names on the seating chart. Then Brooke took her position by the door to wait for the next special couple to arrive.  
  
  
Well, that Brooke is certainly mischievous. K, what did you think? Please review. Thanks lots.   



	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: Nothing IaHB related is mine. Again I must mention, though, that Disney has made a stupid, stupid mistake by not ordering any more shows for a second season. I mean, really, people. It seems to me like a stupid mistake. If I owned the show.................  
  
Note: Thanks so much to the people who have reviewed so far. You all are so wonderful! :) And I promise that this fic will be ending sometime soon. I want to get it done with so I can start writing a new fic. *grins devilishly*  
Okay, don't forget to review, people. Thanks lots.   
  
  
Tyler was confused. He had been confused ever since Hank told him how he planned to let Melanie go back to her life without him. Didn't Hank love Melanie, Tyler wondered. Wasn't their new relationship worth something to Hank?  
  
Tyler had always considered Hank the leader of their little group. He was the one who everyone looked up to; the one you could always rely on to be there to lend a hand or an ear when you had a problem. To Tyler, Hank was his ultimate source of wisdom. He had been the one to encourage Tyler to become a teacher when Tyler had been struggling over the question of what to do with his life. Hank had been there the million times that Tyler had needed advice concerning certain areas of his life. And whatever Hank said always made sense. He always seemed to know exactly what to do, exactly what the right thing to do was. Until now, it seemed.  
  
And that's what had Tyler confused because for the first time as far back as he could remember, he disagreed with Hank. This wasn't some petty thing that they were disagreeing about. It was the difference between right and wrong. Was it right, Tyler wondered, to ask Val to be in his life as more than just a fleeting figure? Hank would say no. Hank would say that Val had created a life for herself and Tyler should not take that away from her. After all, that's how Hank felt about Melanie and her career.  
  
But, Tyler disagreed. Why couldn't he be a bit selfish just this once and ask Val to stay with him? Maybe she would want to stay. Maybe she would want me to move back to the city with her, Tyler thought. I'm willing to make the sacrifice. They're always looking for teachers in the city. I could always find work there.  
  
But, who knew what Val wanted? She hadn't told him herself yet. In fact, she hadn't even talked to him yet about the letters that he had given her. Maybe, Tyler thought hopefully, that's why she is on her way down here.   
  
See, Val had called Tyler a few minutes after a very sullen Hank had left. She had explained that she wanted to talk to him about something and was wondering if she could come to his room. She wanted to talk before the dinner started. Tyler could still feel the excitement that had bubbled up in his throat when Val had stated that she wanted to talk to him before the dinner. At the time, he had thought that perhaps Val wanted him to come back to the city with her or something of the sort. He thought that perhaps she was going to ask him when she came to his room. But, now as he waited patiently for her to arrive, uneasiness overtook the excitement. Now, he was unsure of what he wanted.  
  
He didn't want Val to give up her life for him. And he did not want to interfere in her life if he was not wanted. What if Hank has a point, Tyler's conscience seemed to ask. What if Hank had the right idea all along?  
  
A soft knock sounded at the door to his room and Tyler jumped off his sitting position on the bed to answer it. He crossed the room quickly, hoping that it was Val outside his door.  
  
Tyler opened the door and smiled at the blond that stood in the hallway. "Hey," he said, not knowing what he should do. Should he step forward and lightly kiss her cheek? In a friendly manner, of course, Tyler told himself. Or should he just bid her come into his room?  
  
Although Tyler wanted to do the first idea, he opted for the latter one and motioned for Val to come into his room. She smiled at him and stepped inside, a blush clearly written on her cheeks.  
  
Tyler closed the door and turned, his eyes locking with Val's own. They stared at each other, not saying a word. For not the first time that weekend, it seemed as if they were in their own little world. Nothing else seemed to exist. And, Tyler realized, he wanted nothing more than to keep staring at Val for the rest of the day.  
  
A smile graced Val's face, and a brighter blush crept up into her cheeks. She looked away suddenly, breaking the moment between them. Tyler watched her, hoping that she was not turning off her feelings. Something had just happened between them, even though no words had been exchanged. Tyler had felt the connection between them growing, until Val looked away. He hoped desperately that she wasn't trying to think rationally. No, he thought, she shouldn't do that. All she should do is feel.  
  
But, Val was not smiling anymore as she turned her eyes back to Tyler, more hesitant this time. "Tyler I wanted to talk to you about something before we go to the dinner," she said.  
  
Tyler nodded, encouraging her to go on. This was it, he knew. Whatever Val had to say, it was truly important. Tyler could tell how serious Val was from the way the smile had seemed to leave her face so quickly. Nervousness crept into Tyler's stomach, but he tried not to show it. He tried to smile, hoping that it would encourage Val to continue.  
  
He gestured to the bed behind them and Val sat down slowly. Tyler sat down next to her on the soft mattress and turned to face the girl he had been in love with since high school. Tell me, he pleaded silently.  
  
"It's about the letters you gave me last night," she continued.  
  
Tyler's heart dropped. Shouldn't she be smiling, he thought wildly. He thought she would like the letters, but she wasn't smiling yet. Did that mean she didn't like them? Did it mean that he had made a big mistake?  
  
Tyler realized that giving Val the letters was putting her in a somewhat awkward position. He knew that he was putting her on the spot, making her decide her feelings for him. He knew that there was always a chance that Val did not want what he wanted. He knew all of this all too well.   
  
But, Tyler thought as he watched Val try not to fidget nervously, Val has to realize what a chance I am taking. In giving her the letters, Tyler was also putting himself on the spot. He had put himself in a position he feared the most- to be rejected by the one person he had not been able to forget since high school. The one person who meant the most to him in the whole world.   
  
Maybe I pushed too much, Tyler thought, his feelings of nervousness overpowering now. Maybe I shouldn't have given her the letters so soon after seeing her again. Maybe I should have waited longer before giving them to her. Maybe........  
  
"Look Val," Tyler said before Val could say anything else. "You don't have to say anything at all. I understand. It was a bad idea to give them to you."  
  
Val shook her head, trying to disagree with Tyler. But, he was beyond hearing her. All he wanted to do was explain his way out of this mess. He now understood that giving her the letters was a mistake. Thus, there was only one thing left to do. He would explain and they would go back to being just friends. No big deal, Tyler thought. But, he was having a hard time ignoring the dark feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach.   
  
"But I liked the letters," Val mentioned, trying to calm Tyler's fears. But, he was still too busy forming an explanation in his mind to hear her.   
  
"Val, it's okay. I know I shouldn't have---what did you say?" Tyler asked, her last words finally filtering into his mind. Had she just said that she liked the letters? Or was his mind playing tricks on him?   
  
"What did you say?" He repeated, looking at Val cautiously. It would be asking too much, he knew, to hope that he had heard her right.  
  
Val smiled rather shyly and lad a hand casually on Tyler's arm. Tyler tried to ignore how his pulse seemed to race at her mere touch. And was it his imagination or was his entire arm covered in heat from her light touch?  
  
"I said I liked the letters," she repeated. 'They were sweet. Thank you."  
  
Tyler felt like screaming for joy. Every fear, every doubt in his mind was suddenly laid to rest. She had liked the letters. She was thanking him for the letters. And, he thought pleased, she's touching my arm. Could things get any better?  
  
"I just have one question," Val added and she pulled her hand away from his arm and let it fall to rest in her lap.  
  
"Why didn't you give them to me before this?" She asked, her eyes full of confusion.  
  
Ah, Tyler thought, the inevitable question. He should have known that was coming. After all, he had put the date he had written it on each letter- some dating back to mere months after graduation.  
  
So, why hadn't he sent the letters out? Tyler almost laughed. How could he explain to her the torment he had put himself through for so long over the darn things? He had wanted to mail them to her, and almost had a few times. He would stand at the end of his driveway staring at the mailbox, trying to get up enough courage to shove the envelopes inside. But, he never had been able to do it. Then he would always walk back in his house and put the growing stack of letters back in their box. And he would always hope that the next time, he would have the courage to mail them.  
  
Even Hank had thought that Tyler should mail them to Val. Hank was the only person that Tyler had ever told about the letters and their significance. And Hank had encouraged his friend to just do it, to get it over with. But, until the reunion, Val had never received the letters because they simply were never sent. Rejection, Tyler knew, could be a very horrible thing.  
  
"I was afraid you wouldn't.................like them," Tyler said softly. And he watched as Val's eyes softened with concern and something else that Tyler did not readily recognize.  
  
"I loved them," she said equally soft as she stared into the blue eyes before her.   
  
They stared at each other in silence, as they had when Val had first come to Tyler's room. The connection that Tyler had felt earlier reappeared and grew between them. And it suddenly seemed to Tyler as if time had stopped. Nothing else seemed to matter or exist as he leaned slowly towards Val, watching intently as she closed her eyes.  
  
They had kissed once before in high school and Tyler had never forgotten how absolutely wonderful it had been. His anticipation grew as he leaned slowly forward. Ah, to again feel the same rush of sweet happiness he had felt when he had kissed Val years before!  
  
He was almost there. Mere inches separated their faces. Tyler watched as Val started to lean forward slowly, waiting expectantly for the kiss they both wanted so much. And...............and............  
  
A knock sounded on the door to Tyler's room.  
  
Val gasped and her eyes flew open as if she had just woken from a dream. Tyler cursed softly. Whoever was at the door would have a lot of explaining to do.  
  
Another knock sounded on the door and Val stood, looking around as if she didn't really know where she was. Her eyes were wide with fright and she reminded Tyler of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.  
  
"Val--," he said, not liking how she seemed so nervous all of the sudden.  
  
"Um, Tyler.........I have to go," she said and she started fro the door.  
  
Tyler stood from the bed and looked at her in surprise. "Val, it's okay," he said slowly. His mind raced to figure out what had just happened. What was wrong with her all of the sudden? She had been fine just minutes before.  
  
Another knock sounded at the door.  
  
"You have another visitor," Val said unnecessarily and she pulled the door open the reveal a very sad-looking Hank standing in the doorway.   
  
"Hi Hank," Val said quickly as she rushed past him. She started down the hall quickly, as the two boys looked on. Halfway down the hall, Val turned around. "I'll see you guys at the dinner, okay?" And without waiting for an answer, she spun around and turned a corner and was out of their sight.  
  
Hank looked at Tyler, surprise and confusion written all over his face. "What just happened?" He asked slowly.   
  
Tyler just shook his head. Hank had a very good question, indeed. What had just happened with Val?  
  
"I have no idea," Tyler mumbled.   
  
............................................  
  
Stupid, stupid, stupid, Val berated herself silently. How could she have been so careless as to let things go so far with Tyler? We almost kissed, Val's mind screamed. How could I have let it get that out of hand?  
  
Sure, she had wanted to kiss Tyler. And if Hank had not pounded on the door when he had, chances were extremely good that she would have kissed Tyler. But, that was so wrong to do! So very wrong, Val thought to herself.   
  
Val hurried to her own hotel room and didn't dare to breathe until she had shut the door behind her. And then she sighed.  
  
The next day, she knew. She was leaving without Tyler. So, she never should have let things go so far with him minutes ago in his room. I shouldn't make things worse that they already are, she thought, and then sighed again as she thought about having to see him at the dinner later on.   
  
............................................   
Later On  
  
  
Tyler followed Brooke through the maze of tables. Vaguely he wondered exactly where and who he would be sitting with for the dinner. A part of Tyler wanted to sit with Val and try to talk to her about what had happened in his room just a bit of time before. Yet, an equally big part of him was hoping that they wouldn't have to sit at the same table. He wished with all his might that there would not be awkward feelings between them if they sat together. But, how could they possibly get around it? Because of what had happened in Tyler's room and especially because of how Val reacted, awkward feelings between them were practically inevitable.   
  
Someone called out his name and Tyler turned to wave to the long forgotten classmate. They had been somewhat close in high school, played on the football team together if Tyler wasn't mistaken. Mark......something, Tyler thought as he turned back to follow Brooke further into the maze of tables. It struck him as somewhat funny how he could not seem to remember Mark's last name. Or, Tyler thought, it's weird how I can't really remember anything else about the guy.  
  
Tyler's brow furrowed as he tried in vain to remember a time when he and Mark had hung out together. We were close in high school, Tyler thought silently. Why can't I remember anything about him other than his first name? That's strange.  
  
It truly was strange. After all, Tyler could remember everything he had ever done with his other friends. Val, for instance, Tyler told himself. I can remember the smallest details of our times together.   
  
His mind wandered to the time he had given her the little leprechaun trinket and then had spent the night playing scrabble in her living room. That was right after her father had his heart attack, he thought. It might seem like such a trivial memory to anyone else, but for Tyler it was golden.   
  
But, he questioned, how come I can remember stuff about the time I spent with Val in high school and I can't remember Mark.........something? The question hung heavy in his mind, but Tyler thought he might already know the answer.  
  
"Here we are," Brooke announced cheerfully as she came to a stop next to a table with only two other occupants.  
  
Tyler smiled weakly at Jamie and Caitie, both who were already seated at the table. They smiled back at him, looking almost grateful that there was now someone else at the table.   
  
"Your other dinner companions will be here shortly," Brooke chirped before moving away from the table to take up her post again at the door.  
  
Tyler pulled out a chair slowly and sank into it. On any normal day, he would have definitely taken the opportunity to talk to Caitie and Jamie, to catch up on what they had done in their lives. But, this was no normal day and he simply was not in the mood for easy chitchat. It didn't seem to be a problem, though, as Caitie and Jamie did not say a word to him. They sat across from him, seemingly lost in their own misery.  
  
Suddenly Tyler wished he had never come to the reunion at all.   
  
.............................................  
  
Brooke smiled as she watched her sister walk slowly to the door. She seemed to drag her feet on the carpet as if she really did not want to enter the dining room any time too soon. Brooke smiled. Yes, she knew the problem her sister was facing. And she knew what she could do about it too. All Val and Tyler need is a little push, Brooke thought.  
  
"Val," she said as her sister finally made it to the door. Brooke hugged her sister and then stepped back, a bit worried at the sad little frown that seemed to be locked in at the corner of Val's mouth.  
  
"It's great to see you again, Brooke," Val said, trying to smile genuinely. It truly was good to see her sister again and she wished that she could be happier about it. It was just that a certain other person was on her mind right then and Val was having trouble thinking of much else. Was he already in the dining room? Would he be happy to see her? She would not be surprised if he was angry with her for running out of his room so fast. She just had not know what else to do.  
  
"It's great to see you too, Val," Brooke said as she thought of how that little frown on her sister's face would definitely change that night. Just wait a little bit longer and you will be happy, Brooke thought happily.  
  
Val narrowed her eyes as she saw the devilish look in her sister's eyes. Yes, Val knew the look in Brooke's eyes well. She had seen it many times while they had been growing up. It seemed to always make itself known right before Brooke had outlined one of her crazy ideas. Val wondered what her sister was up to. What devilish games are planning on playing tonight, Val asked silently. But, Brooke's eyes gave away none of her secrets and Val almost smiled. Oh well, she thought as Brooke took her by the hand and started in towards the dining tables, I can only feel pity for the poor soul that Brooke has decided to pick on tonight.  
  
  
K, so what did you think? Next chapter will focus on Hank and Melanie. Hopefully it will be up soon. Don't forget to review. Thanks everyone!  



	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I own nothing IaHB related.  
Note: A big thanks to Jo', who got me thinking about my fic last night on AIM. After talking to her, I decided to make the time to write more. So, I simply pushed all ideas of papers and finals out of my head and wrote this little chapter. Thanks Jo! And, of course, thanks to everyone else who keeps asking me about it and making me feel like, hey, maybe I should get off my lazy butt and write something.  
And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. You guys rock!  
Don't forget to review.:)  
  
  
Hank stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, trying in vain to fix the tie that Tyler had lent to him just minutes ago. He groaned as he finished the knot and pulled. Yep, the tie was crooked again. Slowly, Hank reached up and untied to tie to start all over again. This would be his sixth try.   
  
Normally, Hank did not ever have trouble tying ties. Over the years, he had had practice. As a doctor, Hank had worn his share of ties. And they had always been straight. No problem with them whatsoever. Until now.   
  
What is my problem, he wondered as he pulled the knot tight and looked at his handiwork.   
  
But, deep down inside, Hank already knew what the problem was. Melanie. Tonight, he had decided, he would tell her that they couldn't be together. It was as simple as that. He would tell her that it had been fun but they both had their own lives to live. Sure, she may have some tears and all that, but Hank would comfort her. After all, they could still be friends.   
  
Hank's stomach sank as he thought over what he had rehearsed to say to Melanie. He didn't really want to tell her all of that. He didn't want to tell her that it wouldn't work out between them. He didn't want to act all macho, like what they had shared at the reunion didn't matter to him. No, that was not what he wanted at all.   
  
All he wanted was to take Melanie with him back to Chicago. Was that too much to ask? She could live with him and they could grow old together. And he could make up for all the time that he had avoided her in high school. He would treat her like a princess, giving her everything she ever wanted.  
  
But it's not going to happen, Hank thought as he let his hands fall to his sides. She's not going back with you to Chicago. She's going to Paris or Milan or wherever it is that models go. And it won't be with you.  
  
Suddenly, the tie was forgotten.   
  
Hank closed his eyes momentarily and all he could see was Melanie's face. He could see the shy look in her eyes right after she had kissed him on the bleachers that morning. He could see her long fingers intertwined with his own as they walked back to the hotel. And he could see the sweet smile she had given him as he said good-bye to her outside the door to her room. It was all so perfect. And tomorrow, Hank thought opening his eyes to face the reality of the situation, it was all going to be over with.  
  
A knock sounded on the door to his room and Hank sighed. He knew who was outside the door and for a brief second, Hank wondered if he could get away with pretending he was not in his room. All he had to do was not answer the door and the person on the other side would eventually go away. But, a part of Hank wanted to see the beautiful eyes that had held him in awe the night before. He wanted to see the long dark hair that was so soft under his fingers. Most of all, he wanted to see Melanie's smile. Inevitably, she would be smiling at him when he opened the door. Of course, that would be because she had not heard what he had to tell her yet. Once he told her what he thought, he knew there would be no more smiles. And that killed him inside.   
  
I just need to see it once more, he told himself as he moved towards the door slowly. He grasped the knob of the door firmly in his hand and prayed that he had the strength to do what he felt needed to be done for both of their sakes. Hank pulled the door open and smiled sadly at the girl who had stolen his heart just the night before.  
  
"Hi Hank," she said, smiling brightly.   
  
Ah yes, Hank thought, it was a beautiful smile.  
  
"Hello Melanie," he returned, trying his best to smile. Act like it's no big deal, he told himself. Then maybe it won't be such a big deal to her either.   
  
Hank stood aside so that Melanie could come into the room. She breezed by him, making sure to kiss him on the cheek as she went. Hank felt her lips touch his cheek gently and he closed his eyes for just a minute, relishing in the gift that had just been bestowed upon him. Yes, there would be no more kisses as well after she heard his news.  
Hank closed the door.  
  
"I have some news," Melanie said, the excitement in her eyes so clearly evident.   
  
For just a brief second, Hank could see the old Melanie there. But, it didn't bother him like it might have in high school. In fact, seeing a bit of the old Melanie was kind of nice in Hanks' opinion. It's kind of cute, he thought with a sad, sad smile.  
  
"Actually, Mel, I have something to tell you too," he said before he could stop himself. For a moment, Hank was confused. He hadn't meant to tell her until after the dinner, had he? He hadn't wanted to spoil the dinner for her. But, now he was trapped. She was going to wonder what he had to tell her and there was no backing out of it now. It was as if a part of him had known that he just wanted to get the whole thing over with. I guess there is no time like the present, he thought warily.  
  
"You go first," Melanie said, and then she noticed Hank's tie. It was still hanging askew, the knot totally done wrong. She laughed out loud and moved closer to him. Her hands moved up to touch the silk material of the tie. She slowly untied the mess that Hank had made.  
  
"You tell me your news and I will just fix this for you," she said, her attention on the mess at hand.  
  
Hank took a deep breath and tried to remember everything he had rehearsed to say. But, it was hard to concentrate when her fingers were constantly flicking against the skin of his neck. Even her slightest touch sent tingles through his body. What was he supposed to say?  
  
"I...um.....well, I have been thinking," Hank started, trying to ignore the fact that Melanie had stepped closer to tie the tie better.   
  
"Uh huh," Melanie said, her attention totally focused on the tie. Really, she couldn't wait for Hank to spit out his news so that she could tell him her great news. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she told him that she had cancelled shows to be with him. She bet he'd be really happy, maybe even ecstatic.  
  
"And, well, I think that.....I mean, we both know that tomorrow we are leaving to go back to our lives."  
  
Melanie pulled tied the tie perfectly and pulled the knot tight.  
  
"I think we both know that we can't be together. So, maybe we shouldn't....you know, kid ourselves any longer. I mean, it wouldn't work out between us anyway. We are just too different people living totally different lives," Hank said, happy that the words he had been thinking for hours were finally out in the open. But, something made him instantly regret his words.  
  
Melanie froze, her hands still on the tie. She could not believe what she was hearing. There was no way that Hank had just said what she thought he said, was there? He wouldn't have really said....., she thought. No, there is no way he would have really said...... It was strange how she couldn't even bring herself to say it.  
  
"What?" She asked in a cold, quiet voice. She set to work on the tie again. It had to be perfect. Apparently, Melanie thought, like everyone of Hank's relationships.  
  
"I said," Hank started again, "that we are just two..........jeez Melanie the tie is tight enough!" Hank broke away from Melanie and pulled the knot out of the tie so that he could breathe again. Man, she had really pulled it tight. She must be really upset, he thought wrongly.  
  
He looked at her sympathetically and noticed that her head was down. She was looking at the floor and Hank couldn't see her eyes. But, he did notice that her shoulders were shaking. Was she crying?  
  
"Aw, Melanie," he said soothingly and he took a sep towards her. He reached out a hand to pat her on the shoulder, but her next words stopped him cold.  
  
"Don't touch me."  
  
Hank pulled his hand back as if he had been bitten by a snake. He watched as Melanie raised her head. He could finally see her eyes, the ones that he had fallen in love with the night before. But, now they were not sweet and enticing as before. Now, daggers of coldness and fury shot out of them as if to pierce Hank right through the heart. In all the years he had known Melanie, he had never seen her look so very ticked off. But there was something else under the anger. Something that cut Hank to the bone to see- hurt.  
  
"Don't kid ourselves?" Melanie said and she took two steps back, away from Hank's grasp. "You make it sound like this whole thing has been a ruse."  
  
Hank shook his head in frustration. "Well, in the grand scheme of things, maybe it was. I mean, did you really think that we would be together after the reunion ended? It would be impossible. I mean, I am sure that you already have plans for the next few years with your career."  
  
Hank watched as the anger boiled in Melanie's eyes.  
  
"You..... have... no idea.. The last few days have meant so much to me, Hank," she said, and then her temper got the best of her. She was tired of it all. For years, she had thought about the homecoming dance and about Hank. For years, she had wished it had all gone differently. And now, here she was with the person she had loved all that time and he was spouting off nonsense to her. Melanie simply wasn't going to take to take it anymore.  
  
"Listen, Melanie-," Hank said, but Melanie cut him off.  
  
"No, you listen, Hank!" Hanks' eyebrows shot up on his forehead in surprise. He watched as Melanie took a step forward, ready to do battle.  
  
"All that time ago in high school, I really cared about you. I thought you were the greatest person in the world. But, then the whole homecoming thing happened and I swore that I would never show you my feelings again."  
  
Hank's mind reeled as he remembered how she had been a bit standoffish to him after the dance all those years ago. It all seemed to make sense now.  
  
"And now, now that I finally have the chance to be with you for real, you go and ruin it! Do you realize that in less than ten minutes you have cheapened everything that has happened between us this weekend?!?!"  
  
Melanie took another step forward and poked a finger at Hank's chest. "I love you, you big oaf! Are you too blind to see that?!?! And it's not impossible for us to be together after the reunion. Sure, it might take some work, but I was willing to try. But, you......you weren't willing at all! And, I for one, was not kidding myself!"  
  
Suddenly, before Hank could respond, Melanie surged forward and kissed Hank on the mouth. Her lips covered his own and his eyebrows shot up even higher. The force of her crashing into him made him stagger backwards and almost lose his balance. He reached out and grabbed her waste, trying to steady them both. Hank lost all contact with the outside world. All he knew was that Melanie was kissing him like there was no tomorrow. I am being taught a lesson, Hank thought happily as he leaned forward to deepen the kiss.  
  
But, Melanie pulled away and smiled ruefully. "Kidding ourselves, huh?" She said. And then she was moving away from him towards the door of his room. As her hand touched to doorknob, she turned around to face him one last time. "And don't you dare try to blame this on my career, Dr. Beecham. Yeah, I had plans for my career. But, I had just come down here to tell you that my plans for the next few weeks had been cancelled so that I could spend more time with you. But, I guess that doesn't matter now, does it?" And then she was gone, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Hank flinched at the loud sound. He couldn't believe what had just happened. It had not been the reaction he had been expecting. He had expected crying or something of the sort. But Melanie, as was becoming the habit of hers, surprised him. She had actually been angry and Hank couldn't really blame her.  
  
His mind reeled with everything she had said. Did she really call me a 'big oaf'? He thought. Had she really changed her schedule around just for me? Hey wait-did she say she loved me?"  
  
Suddenly, Hank knew he had made a very grave mistake.  
  
..................................................  
  
Melanie flew into her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, allowing the sobs to finally escape. They had been threatening ever since she had been in Hank's room. But, she would not allow him to see that. Oh no, she would not. Melanie was pretty sure that the cleaning lady in the elevator had known something was wrong with her, but she had said nothing.  
  
Tears flowed down Melanie's cheeks as she thought of what had just happened in Hank's room. She couldn't believe the things he had said to her. The entire weekend had been like a dream so far and Hank wanted to ruin it with his own dose of reality. Well, Melanie thought, dropping to the floor in anguish, just like in high school, Hank did a great job making me feel awful.  
  
She had wanted to be with Hank for so long. And she had really let herself think that this weekend there might be a chance. But now..........  
  
No, Melanie told herself. I will not let Hank walk away this time.  
  
She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood slowly, her legs shaking a bit. It was time to get ready for the dinner. Melanie just hoped that she could stay away from Hank until she thought of the right thing to say.  
  
................................................  
  
  
"Hey Brooke," Hank called as he reached the doorway in which she stood.  
  
"Well, hello there, Doctor Beecham," she responded and then gave him a light hug. "Your dinner companions are this way."  
  
She turned and made her way through the room with Hank following behind her. He looked around the room, but did not see any sign of Melanie. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing, he wondered. He wished that he had never said anything to Melanie. It had all turned nasty after he had opened his mouth.  
  
"Here you go," Brooke said as she stopped near the table. She pointed to his seat next to Tyler. Making another check on the sheet on her clipboard, she turned and walked back to her position at the door.  
  
Hank pulled out the chair and slid into it. "Hey guys," he said to everyone around the table.  
  
"Hey," four non-enthusiastic people replied as one. No one made any attempt at conversation and Hank was glad. He didn't really feel like talking.   
  
His eyes wandered around the table at his friends. Tyler and Val were trying so hard not to look at each other. On the other hand, Caitie and Jamie stared at each other like doomed lovers. Hank sighed. Yeah, it seemed as if everyone was feeling the way he was.   
  
His eyes noticed the empty chair between Jamie and himself. I wonder who is going to be sitting there, he thought vaguely. But, now he really was kidding himself because deep down inside he already knew.  
  
................................................  
  
Brooke watched as the slender girl neared the doorway. And she smiled as she noticed that Melanie was dressed to kill. She was wearing a beautiful deep blue dress, which looked like nothing store bought. And it fit her perfectly.   
  
Hank is really in trouble tonight, she thought happily.   
  
As soon as Melanie reached Brooke at the door, Brooke smiled even larger. "Melanie it is so good to see you again," Brooke chirped happily. "Hank and everyone else are already inside. So, if you'll just step this way......"  
  
"Um,..well, actually I was wondering if there was any way I could sit at another table. I mean, is there room at any of the other tables?" Melanie asked rather hopefully. Her confidence had slowly dissipated on the way to the dinner and now she really didn't want to face Hank all that much.  
  
Brooke looked at her in surprise. I guess this is more serious than I thought, she thought silently. She pretended to look at the sheet on her clipboard, which, indeed, showed a whole bunch of empty spaces at tables.   
  
"Nope, no room anywhere except where you are assigned," Brooke said quickly and clasped the clipboard to her chest before Melanie got a glance at the seating chart.   
  
Brooke grabbed the other girl's hand and pulled her into the dining room. "This will be great," she told Melanie over her shoulder as she pulled the other girl to the table. "You'll get to see everyone again and remember all the great times you guys had in high school."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Melanie mumbled. Good times in high school? All she could remember was that awful night at homecoming. And how Hank had never really wanted anything to do with her. She shook her head as they neared the table. She could see everyone already sitting there. There was Jamie, Caitie, Val, Tyler and, of course, Hank.  
  
Melanie steeled herself as they came to a stop next to the table. No big deal, she thought. She just hoped that time would go fast so that she could get out of there.  
  
"Well, here is everyone," Brooke said as she showed Melanie where to sit. Melanie sank into the chair as Brooke walked away from the table.  
  
Melanie looked at her dinner companions and smiled. "Hi everyone. It's so nice to see you again." She favored all but one with her smile.  
  
Then she turned to her right side where Hank sat, staring at her. She gave him the darkest look she could possibly muster and simply said, "Hank."  
  
Four sets of eyebrows raised at her dark greeting. And they watched as Hank started, "Melanie-."  
  
"Shhh, Hank," Melanie said, "I am trying to enjoy the evening before I am 'banished' back to my career tomorrow."  
  
Melanie looked away from Hank and noticed that everyone else at the table was watching her. They all seemed a bit surprised at her brashness. Melanie smiled. "You see," she said to them, leaning forward conspiratorially, "it seems that my career is all that is important to me." She looked back at Hank, the dark look back in her eyes. "Apparently, my career is all that matters."  
  
Five sets of eyes suddenly were cast downward as Melanie's barb to Hank set in. Yes, they had all seemed to have that mindset, didn't they? They were all so worried about the lives that they had created for themselves that they had not even given any true thought to what mattered most- their relationships. And they all felt ashamed.  
  
I want to see K's Camp, Caitie thought.  
  
I could move to the city. Mike could take care of K's Camp, Jamie thought.   
  
I could teach in the city, Tyler thought.  
  
I would move my whole life for Tyler, Val thought.  
  
I want her to stay with me, Hank thought.  
  
And Melanie,........... well, Melanie simply thought of how much her career really didn't matter when she was around Hank. Because she loved him and that, truly, was all that did matter.  
  
................................................  
  
Brooke stood a ways away from her favorite table and smiled. She could see that they were all deep in thought. Tyler and Val tried not to look at each other. Jamie and Caitie stared at each other rather longingly. And every once in a while, Melanie would glare at Hank. Ah, here we go, she thought deviously, and she started walking towards the table. Time to put my plan in action.  
  
  
So, what did you think? Please review.  



	14. Chapter Fourteen

Brooke approached the table like it was a tiger ready to strike

Disclaimer: I own nothing IaHB related.Yeah, we've all seen this sort of disclaimer before. 

Note:Many, many thanks to Bea for being my beta reader for this chapter.I would have been truly lost without you, oh great Jedi writer.And for D.C., Mo' and Bea: July is good for me for our little 'excursion'.DC how is the soundproofing of your basement going?(Again, people, it is an inside joke.)

K, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far.You guys have been absolutely wonderful.And don't forget to review this chapter, k?Thanks lots.

A dark cloud of gloom seemed to hover over the table in the center of the room.It rumbled and roared and every once in a while, Brooke thought she saw a lightning bolt or two flicker in its midst.The people under the cloud seemed oblivious to its presence; they were too caught up in their own saddened state to care about the symbolic cloud that they had created.They sat in different postures, trying to look comfortable, relaxed and happy.They all failed miserably.

Val sat up, her back as straight as it could go.Her hands were in her lap, fiddling with the small ring she wore on her right ring finger.She looked about the room as if searching for something, anything to get her mind off of the person that sat next to her.She had to overwhelming urge to look at him, but she tried not to.It wouldn't do to be reminded of the person she could not be with.

But, she did want just a little peek.Just to see what he was doing.It wouldn't hurt anything, would it?It would only be a little peek.She'd look real quick and then look away before he could catch her eye.No big deal, right?Val steeled herself and then, without moving her head at all, turned her eyes to look to the left of her.

Tyler sat next to Val.He played with the corner of his folded napkin and wished that he had never come to the reunion in the first place.It would have been so easy, he thought in hindsight, to have just thrown the invitation in the garbage as soon as I got it.But, no, I had to come and see her.

He was painfully aware of the fact that she sat right next to him.She was like a beacon to him, calling to him even though no words were spoken.He tried his best not to look at her.Looking at her would only remind him of what could have been.Tyler looked at the person sitting on his left instead.

Hank looked as if his best friend had died.He stared deep into the clean dinner plate that was in front of him as if it would somehow tell him how to make everything all better.It was somewhat ironic in a way.Hank had spent his whole career trying to save people, fixing them up and making them all better.But, when it came down to it, he couldn't even fix himself.

He wanted Melanie, needed her.Life, he knew, would not be the same without her anymore.Hank could just picture himself sitting in his office after the reunion.He would not be the same person if he left on bad terms with Melanie.Hank knew Melanie had changed him in a way that there was no going back from.And therefore, picturing himself in his office was suddenly a bleak picture.I don't want her to leave me, Hank said in his mind over and over again.He wondered what she was thinking of at that moment.

Melanie's mind was on fire.She was still angry, but she tried very hard not to show it.She had leaned back against the back of her chair and had sat very, very still.Her eyes flicked this way and that, every once in a while landing on Hank to give him a dirty look.Yes, she wanted him to know that she was mad at him.After all, he was the cause of her annoyance.

She still was perturbed to the utmost degree by the things Hank had said in his room.We were not kidding ourselves, she told herself fiercely.And it can work out.She wondered if he really felt as he had said or not.Was there any possibility that his actions in his room were just a front for how he really felt?Men, Melanie thought.They are so incredibly annoying.Melanie looked at the person sitting next to her and wondered how he could seem so relaxed.

Jamie was slumped in his chair, pretending to be so relaxed.He looked around nonchalantly as if nothing was wrong.Inside, though, everything was wrong.Caitie was sitting next to him.She was so close that he could have reached out and touched her, but he was afraid to.He was afraid to do anything involving Caitie, even talk to her.The idea that Caitie was not going to be with him scared him more than anything.

And he kept looking at her, trying to drink her image into his memory.He did not ever want to forget what she looked like.Every time his eyes would fall on her face, though, Jamie felt as if he died a little more inside.Man, he would miss her so much.He turned to look at her again.

Caitie stared at Jamie.She wished the nervousness in her stomach would leave.It was such an unpleasant feeling.She just wished that Jamie wasn't going to leave her the next day.But, how could she make him stay with her?How could she tell him that Melanie's words had made her understand what was really important to her?She didn't want to leave him at all.

It was all too much for her to comprehend.She had definitely not been looking for a relationship with Jamie when she had come to the reunion.All she had wanted to do was convince herself that she had had only a silly crush on him in high school.Falling for him all over again was simply a perk of coming.Except, at that moment as Caitie stared at him and saw the overwhelming sadness in his eyes, the perk seemed more like a curse.

……………………………………

Brooke approached the table like it was a tiger ready to strike.The occupants of the table were in a rather grim mood, she knew, and it would not do to scare them right off with too much peppiness.No, this must be perfect, Brooke thought.Everything must go according to plan.

Brooke knew that her plan could go one of two ways.It could be a huge success.Then all of the people at the little table would leave the dinner in pairs.Or it could be a huge flop, in which all of her favorite people would probably end up more depressed than before.Of course, Brooke hoped it would be a success.

She wanted to see these people happy.They had always been such a big part of her life and each of them deserved a little happiness in his/her own life.All this stuff about living separate lives after the reunion is nonsense, she thought as she neared the table.They have done the whole separate lives thing.Now, it is time to be together.

She knew that all they needed was a little reminder of how they felt for each other.They just needed to remember what it was like when they first realized they loved the other one.And Brooke was just the person to help them with that.

"Well guys," she said, coming to a stop next to Val's side at the table.Six pairs of eyes turned her way, each of them mirrors of the next.Yes, they were definitely in need of some cheering up."I have to say that it is so good to see you guys again.I mean, I haven't seen any of you for so long.

She looked around the table and smiled at each frown.Soon, she thought to herself, those frowns will disappear.Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.Well, at least she hoped that the frowns would disappear.

The cloud of gloom overhead rumbled again.

"There's Val, who is the head of a big corporation."She looked at her sister."I bet that whole competitive nature really comes in handy there."

Val tried to smile, but found that she couldn't really manage it.She looked up at her sister and tried hard not to look at Tyler, who sat right next to her.Was it her imagination or was he looking at her?She wished that she could look just once to see where his eyes were, but she was afraid to.What if he is looking at me, she thought.It will just make it worse to know he's thinking of me.

"Hey," Brooke said, breaking into Val's thoughts.Val turned her attention back to her sister."Do you remember that bottle and can drive where you were so competitive with Jamie and Caitie?"

Val turned in her seat and looked at Jamie.She had really hurt him bad that time, when she had questioned his character.She had even called him a bonehead, something that she had regretted instantly when she had found out that he had been standing right behind her when she had said it.The whole bottle and can drive incident had made her realize that she was a bit hyper-competitive.

Caitie and Jamie both smiled at her and for the first time since arriving at the dinner, Val smiled back.She would have bet her entire corporation that they were remembering everything that had happened then too.

"We almost didn't win that thing because of the stupid Spreewell preps," Caitie mentioned.

"Yeah, if it hadn't been for the video tape in the back of Hank's car, we would have been sunk," Val added.

A round of smiles graced the table as all of its occupants remembered how Val had found the instructional video in the back of Hank's car.The squad had then told the guys from Spreewell that the tape was from the surveillance camera at the station.The Spreewell can-stealers had been a bit nervous then and had wanted nothing more than to get their hands on the tape.Too bad it was really an instructional video on how to get rid of medical waste.Of course, the boys from Spreewell never knew that until after the squad got their cans back.

Hank chuckled, remembering how stupid the boys from Spreewell had been."Well, we almost didn't get them back, even with the video.If it hadn't have been for those girls putting paper hearts on the cans that they colleted for Tyler….."

He let the statement hang in the air and everyone laughed.Val turned to look at Tyler, forgetting that just moments ago she had been afraid to even meet his eye.In that second of time, she forgot all about not getting too close.She forgot all about the fact that she would be leaving tomorrow.They were just as they had been in high school.Tyler and Val.No problems whatsoever.

"Yeah," she said, teasingly, "Tyler's little fan club came to our rescue."

Another laugh circled the table and Brooke smiled.Was it working, she wondered.Was it really working?She looked at Tyler, whose face had turned a bit red.He was staring at Val in a bit of wonderment.Brooke's smile deepened.It appeared that it was working just fine.

A small portion of the gloom cloud slowly disappeared into the air.

Tyler laughed."Well, don't forget, I had to spend time with them at the mall after that."

Brooke smiled again, deviously this time.That, she knew, was her cue."Yeah, you were always doing great things for your friends.Remember when you gave Val that Leprechaun good luck charm when our dad was in the hospital?"

Tyler and Val stared at each other quietly as if seeing something only they could see.Perhaps, Brooke thought, they are reliving the moment from so many years ago when he gave her that awful thing.

"I still have it," Val said quietly.

Tyler smiled, a bit surprised."You kept it?I didn't think you would."

Val returned his smile with one of her own.A warm feeling was starting to grow within her.She didn't know exactly where it came from or what exactly it meant, but it was there.She liked the feeling, though.It was something that she hadn't felt before.But, she thought contently, it was something she definitely could get used to.

"I keep it on the desk in my office."

Slowly, Tyler reached over and touched Val's hand.She started to pull her hand away and then stopped as if she thought better of it.She smiled shyly, and then spread out her fingers so that Tyler could fit his own in between.Brooke watched as Tyler interlaced his fingers with Val and they stared at each other as if nothing was wrong at all.

One pair down, Brooke thought.She looked at Jamie and Caitie, who were watching Val and Tyler with slight interest.The sadness in both of their eyes had not faded yet and Brooke wondered if she would be able to succeed with this couple.Val and Tyler were so easy, she thought suddenly.Jamie and Caitie might be a bit harder.But, Brooke was willing to try anyway.

"So, Caitie is a writer now," she said, directing everyone's attention to Caitie.The young author squirmed a bit in her chair at all the attention."You know, I always had a feeling you would be, especially after that whole writing contest fiasco."

Caitie smiled and looked at her best friend in the whole world.She remembered well how she and Val had entered the same contest, not knowing that the other had entered.She had been so upset that Val would take over the one thing that Caitie could do well.Caitie had worked hard on her essay about who was an inspiration to her.It was just one of life's ironies when Caite and Val found out that they had written about each other.But, in the end, it had worked out fine because neither of them had won the contest.

"I never would have stayed in the contest at all if it hadn't been for Jamie telling me that I should," Caitie said, turning her gaze to meet Jamie's.Jamie smiled, and put his arm around the back of Caitie's chair.

"Yeah, well it was a good essay.And besides," he said, a cocky grin forming on his lips, "that Tim Doherty is such an apple polisher." 

Everyone laughed at Jamie's perfect imitation of what Caitie always said in high school.Caitie turned and smacked Jamie on the arm, playfully.In Caitie's opinion, it was true, though.Tim Doherty had ended up winning the contest because he had written about the teacher being an inspiration to him.A true apple polisher, indeed. 

Brooke smiled.This was just too easy."Yeah, and remember Billy?He was a great guy, wasn't he Caitie?"

Caitie rolled her eyes and shook her head.There were many adjectives that she could think of to describe Billy and 'great' was not one of them.She had really liked him, though.At least, that was until she found out that he was only using her to make his father and stepmother mad at him.See, Billy thought that if he told his father he was dating Caitie, he would be so upset that he would send him to live with his mother.Yet, the plan had backfired when Caitie had found out the truth and had paid his father and stepmother a little visit.

"Yeah, he was a real gem," Caitie said in her usual sarcastic tone.

"He really used you, didn't he?I mean, he was even dating someone else at the time he was pretending to date you."Brooke finished her statement and watched as Jamie sat up a bit straighter in his chair and leaned a bit more towards Caitie.His arm still lay protectively around the back of her chair. 

Brooke, though, was not the only one to notice Jamie's reaction to her words.

"You know, Jamie wanted to beat this guy up for you," Hank mentioned, watching as surprise graced Caitie's face.He was surprised Jamie hadn't told Caitie about that part a long time ago."Yeah, Tyler and I both had to hold him back from going after the guy."

"I hated that guy," Jamie said darkly, his eyes narrowed as if he were remembering exactly what Billy had done to his Caitie.Caitie looked at him, waiting to hear what he would say next.Jamie shrugged."He was being a jerk to you and I didn't like it. I didn't like how he was treating you."

It was nice, in Caitie's opinion, to know that Jamie had cared for her that much, even then.She wondered vaguely just when it was that he had started liking her as more than just friends.Was it then?Or was it sometime before that?

Caitie smiled at Jamie and a bit of his dread fell away.He loved her smile, even though it was usually followed with some rather tart remark.Jamie remembered how annoying it had been when he had seen Caitie smile like that at Billy.Man, that guy was such a jerk, Jamie thought.He stared at Caitie, noticing that the sadness in her eyes had softened a bit into something else.He wanted to think that he knew what the look in her eyes meant, but he didn't want to hope too much.It's just your imagination, he told himself harshly.She knows as well as you do that she is leaving tomorrow.But, still, as Caitie moved her chair a bit closer to Jamie's own, he couldn't help but hope that the next day would never come.Jamie edged closer to her and moved his arm that was draped over the back of her chair so that his fingers rested on the shoulder farthest from him.He squeezed her shoulder lightly and then smiled back at her.

A large piece of the cloud of gloom suddenly dissipated into the air.It was much smaller now, Brooke noticed.Only a tiny bit of it remained and it seemed to be congregating right over the heads of Hank and Melanie.Thunder rumbled within the cloud.Ah yes, Brooke thought warily, the real challenge is those two.

She wasn't sure how she was going to handle the Melanie/Hank situation.It had been so easy with Tyler and Val and Jamie and Caitie.They had practically been begging for help with their relationship.All she had had to do was remind them of times when they had been the closest in high school.No big deal whatsoever.Yet, Melanie and Hank were different.They were both quieter about their relationship since it had just seemed to literally bloom overnight.But, Brooke could tell that Melanie was mad at Hank for something.Heck, anyone within a fifty-mile radius could have been able to tell that.She kept looking at Hank every few minutes and giving him dark looks.

Brooke wondered what it was that Hank had done.She imagined he had said something stupid, something that would have made Melanie so very upset.But, what could it have been?Brooke was not a mind reader and she was having enough trouble as it was not laughing at them.Jeez, she thought as she watched Melanie shoot Hank another dark look and Hank bow his head in return, they are acting like a married couple.

I guess we know who is in charge in that relationship, she thought, smirking.And then another thought flitted across her mind.Brooke's mind grabbed hold of it before it could get away and she smiled as an idea formed in her head.What if…, she thought to herself.If Melanie has a temper, she thought deviously, she might get jealous easily as well.Of course, there was only one way to find out.

"You know, Hank," Brooke started slowly, "I saw Jasmine a little while ago.She looked really nice and she was asking about you."

"Yeah?"Hank asked, not really interested.Sure, Jasmine was a nice girl and all that, but he didn't want to see any other girl.The only person he wanted to see was the girl sitting next to him, shooting him dark looks.He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he was afraid to tell her that now.

"Yeah, you should go find her and talk with her.Who knows?Maybe you guys will end up spending the rest of the reunion together," Brooke said, watching not Hank, but Melanie very closely.

Melanie narrowed her eyes and stared at the dinner plate before her.She crossed her arms over her chest and then mumbled under her breath, "over my dead body."

She looked around to see if anyone had heard her, but the other two couples at the table were already in their own little world.It must be nice, Melanie thought and then the image of Hank and Jasmine together entered her mind.She gritted her teeth.

No, Melanie thought.There is no way that Hank was going to end up spending the rest of his time at the reunion with Jasmine.Melanie had spent most of high school trying in vain to be the girl's friend.And one day, she really thought that they had gotten rather close.That was, of course, before Jasmine told Melanie that Melanie was not cool enough to hang out with her.Apparently, Jasmine had seen Melanie as Hank had seen Melanie in high school- just one big pain in the butt.

Melanie had never liked Jasmine since that time and she was NOT going to let Hank hang out with the girl as if they were best friends or something of the sort.Melanie's blood boiled at the thought that Hank might be smiling at someone else that night.That he might actually leave her and be with someone else.

Slowly, the anger seemed to melt away as she realized what she was afraid of.It wasn't the fact that Han had thought her job would separate them that had gotten her so mad.And it was not the fact that he had acted all macho when he had told her.It was simply the fact that he had voiced what she was thinking.She had been too scared to say it before.She had been too scared that she would lose him for good if she asked him what would happen after the reunion.And now, he had beaten her to the quick.He had voiced her fear loud and clear.Melanie did not want to lose Hank.

She turned to him, so much fear and hurt in her eyes.It was almost like the homecoming dance all over again.She had to act strong as she had then, didn't she?She had to act as if it all did not bother her in the least, didn't she?Show them what a good sport you are, she had told herself the night of the dance after talking with Hank.Don't let them see the tears.But now, the tears were already threatening to come.

"I'm still mad at you," she said through watery eyes.Her voice lacked the determined quality it had before and it was hard for Hank to really believe that she was mad at all.

"Mel," he started and then stopped when he saw the first tear run down her cheek.Hank leaned closer to her, a brushed the lonely tear away with the pad of his thumb.

Melanie sat up straight and sniffed once.She pushed her hair out of her face and tried to calm herself.She had wanted to show Hank how mad she was and this not helping at all.And if she looked over there once more and saw his brown puppy dog eyes looking at her with so much concern……….

Melanie took a deep breath."I'm fine.Really, I am," she said, smiling slightly at Hank to show that the spunky Melanie was still there.Don't let them see your tears, her mind whispered."Everything is fine."

Hank smiled sadly.He wished that Melanie's words were true.He really, truly wished that everything was fine just then.And he wished that everything was going to be fine the next day and the day after that.But, in actuality, nothing was fine.Hank knew this way too well.

"No, Mel, it isn't fine," he whispered and then he leaned forward just a bit to kiss her softly.

Brooke grinned as she looked around the table.Tyler and Val were looking at each other shyly, as if they were on their first date.Caitie and Jamie stared at each other wordlessly, lost in their own little world.And Melanie and Hank?Brooke was the happiest with that couple.They were kissing as if tomorrow didn't matter.

The cloud of gloom had disappeared completely.

"So, does anyone want to tell me what they want to drink tonight?"She asked and was happy when she got absolutely no response.

"Does anybody remember the time that Jamie gave mouth to mouth to a dead dog?"She tried again.And again there was no answer.In fact, there was no indication that any of the three couples had heard a word she had said.

Brooke took one last look around the table and then walked away slowly, the grin still plastered on her face."I rock," she whispered as she made her way through the maze of tables to the kitchen.She couldn't wait to call Alex and tell him what she had done."Mission _accomplished_."

K, well, only one more chapter to go.The last chapter will be about what happens the next morning when they all are ready to leave the reunion.I really, really want to get this done before I leave for vacation on Saturday.But, if I don't, it will definitely be up when I get back in about two weeks.

So, what did you guys think of this chapter?Don't forget to review.Thanks.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

The sun rose the next morning, sprinkling its dusty rays throughout the town of Kingsport

Disclaimer:Yeah, well, I still maintain that if I did own anything IaHB related, they would be going into a second season. *Grumbles at Disney*Suffice it to say, I own nothing IaHb related.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my fic.I know this fic is a long one and most of you stuck it out to the very end.Thank you a lot for that.You guys are wonderful.

Oh, and Darkchilde?_Equipment_?Erm, what kind of equipment would that be?And I am glad to hear that the soundproofing is coming along well.

Here we go:

The sun rose the next morning, sprinkling its dusty rays throughout the town of Kingsport.It was a pleasant morning- not too hot and not too cold.People who had lived in the town all their lives had to admit that it was one of the nicest mornings, weather-wise, that they had had in a long time.Not a cloud dotted the beautiful blue sky.It was a beautiful day in Kingsport.

Well, almost beautiful.Six people awoke to the morning sunshine and cloudless sky and could feel none of the happiness that all of the other people in the town felt.No, they could not seem to admire the wonderful weather at all.It seemed that all six people had other things on their mind.

It was the end of the reunion.Today, everyone would be saying their good-byes and going back to their old lives.And Tyler, Val, Caitie, Jamie, Hank and Melanie all wondered how they would manage to leave.After everything that had happened in the last couple of days, they all wondered how they could possibly turn their back on it all and leave to go back to the lives that they had had before.For the six of them, life would never be the same again.

…………………………………………..

Val stood pacing right outside of Tyler's door.She was rehearsing what to say to him when they said goodbye. She had wanted to get an early start that morning back towards the city and that meant saying goodbye to Tyler.Sure, she didn't really want to say goodbye to Tyler, but some things just had to be done. 

I will just go in there and tell him how much I……….care for him.And then I will tell him to keep in touch, she thought, trying to get it all straight in her mind.Then I will tell him……..

It was funny how she couldn't seem to say the word goodbye in her mind.

Well, her mind mentioned casually, look at the bright side.When you get back to the city, you can have Kiandra take you to get that great fleece sweater you wanted.

"Oh yeah," Val mumbled."Like that even matters now."

But still, she had to admit that the fleece sweater would be nice.Of course, she would get this sweater from winning the bet she had with Kiandra.Val almost laughed.Kiandra was so crazy.There was no way that Val was going to ask Tyler to go with her back to the city to meet Kiandra.There was just no way.

See?Val told her mind.I am going to tell him bye right now.That should be proof enough that I never intended to ask him to go back to the city with me.I'll get the sweater, but it won't really matter because Tyler won't be there.

Val stopped pacing and her shoulders slumped at the last thought.He wouldn't be there, she realized.And all the sweaters in the world would not make her feel better about that.In fact, nothing would make her feel better about that.

I just have to get it over with, she told herself calmly, ignoring that fact that she wanted to cry.Val squared her shoulders and knocked on the door before her.

Immediately, Tyler opened the door as if he had been waiting for her to arrive.Val vaguely hoped that Tyler had not known she had been pacing outside his room for a few minutes before she had knocked on the door.

He smiled at her and gestured for her to come into the room.She walked inside slowly, knowing that telling him goodbye would be one of the hardest things she would ever do.But, it has to be done, she told herself for the millionth time.Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to do and this is one of them.

"So, what's up, Val?"Tyler asked, hoping that she had not come to tell him goodbye.He was not ready for her to leave yet at all.

Val ran through everything she had rehearsed in the hall.No big deal, she told herself.And then out loud she said, "Tyler, I wanted to tell you something."

Val smiled hesitantly and then looked directly into Tyler's eyes.And that, she realized two seconds too late, was a huge mistake.His eyes were blue, as she had known that little fact for years now.But, that day, they seemed even lighter blue than before.They seemed to sparkle at her and Val was suddenly reminded of the ocean.And, she thought surprising herself, when he smiles his eyes crinkle in the corners.Whoa, she thought, I am losing control.

And it was true.Val could feel her resolve slipping away slowly and she knew that if she stayed in Tyler's room too much longer, she would end up never leaving.I have to do this, she told herself.I'll just say it quickly and have it over with once and for all.

"Tylerwillyougotothecitywithmeandmeetmyroommate?"Val said in one quick breath.Then she froze.What had she just said?She had meant to say that she had come down to his room to tell him goodbye.But, it surely had not come out that way.Oh good Lord, she thought as she closed her eyes in embarrassment.What have I done?

"What?" Tyler asked sharply.He had wanted her to say those exact words for so long.Of course he wanted to go back to the city with her.He wanted to be with her forever.But, he was also practical about the situation and he wanted to see if that was what she had really said.

"I said, I came down to your room to tell you goodbye," Val amended quickly, hoping that Tyler really hadn't been able to understand her the first time.

Tyler smiled and looked at Val knowingly.No, that had not been what she had said at all.It wasn't even close.He watched the girl before him as she would not meet his eye."That's not what you said," he said quietly, watching as Val began to squirm a little bit.

"I..um….well…of course it is!"She said loudly."I know what I said, Tyler.Now, just let me think about what comes next."

Tyler almost laughed as Val started to pace his room.So, she had planned to tell him goodbye.And she had planned it all out well.Except, Tyler thought with a grin, she was having trouble remembering the plan and her mouth was saying things she never meant to say.

Val stopped pacing and looked at Tyler.I can do this, she thought, her heart beating wildly.All I have to say is goodbye.

"What I wanted to tell you was…..goo…..ggg……gooooo…"As hard as Val tried, she just could not get the right word out.She closed her eyes in concentration, trying to shove the vowels and consonants into a word that made sense.

Tyler leaned forward, playing along."What was it you wanted to tell me?I can't quite understand you."

Val opened her eyes and gave Tyler a dirty look."You know, you aren't making this any easier," she said briskly before going back to forming the word on her tongue."Gooo….ggg…"

But it just was not coming at all.Aw, forget it, Val said and she stopped thinking realistically and logically."Do you want to come back to the city with me?" She asked.It was funny, she noticed, how every one of those words came out just fine.

Tyler smiled and wrapped his arms around Val."I would love to," he said and then he leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips.

But the sweater…, her mind reminded her, but Val just sighed as Tyler kissed her.It was a stupid bet anyway, she thought.

………………………………………..

Jamie felt like crap.There was no other way to describe it.He felt as if someone had torn out his heart, stomped on it a few times and then had handed it back to him for safekeeping.Every part of him was screaming to grab Caitie and never let her go.But, he knew that he wouldn't.

It's her choice, he thought darkly as he followed Caitie out of the door of the hotel to the parking lot, where her rental car was parked.If she wanted to be with you, she'd stay.

But, she wasn't staying.It was painfully evident to him by the fact that her packed bags were in his hands.He was carrying them for her, but he wished he weren't.Jamie wished that he could simply put them in his rental car and beg her to go with him to K's Camp.He could see it in his mind.He would load their bags in the back of his car and then plop himself in the drivers seat to drive to the airport.But, before even putting the key in the ignition, he would lean over and give her a little kiss, in a way thanking her for choosing to stay with him.Of course, that's what he wanted to happen, not what was going to happen.

After the dinner the night before, Jamie and Caitie had gone back to her room in the hotel.There, they had spent their time talking until the had fallen asleep.They had talked about everything- the schools they had gone to, the places that the currently lived.But, the one thing that they never had gotten around to talking about was the fact that they would have to say goodbye to each other the next day.It had been a bit of a sore subject, as one could well imagine.And so, they had simply ignored it, knowing that talking about it would only lead them to think of sad things.

They reached the small red car and he waited as she opened the trunk.She lifted the lid slowly and Jamie threw the suitcase and bag inside quickly.A part of him cried out as he did so, as if to protest the fact that it was not his car that he was throwing the bags into.She is not going with me, he tried to convince himself.She doesn't want to.

He stood back stonily as Caitie shut the lid of the trunk.Then she looked at him, her head cocked to one side just a bit.He had known her long enough to know what that gesture meant. 

She was worried about him.It would be so easy to pretend that nothing was wrong, he knew.Jamie had done it many times in high school.When he had first realized that he liked Caitie more than just friends, he had tried to hide it.He had pretended that nothing was wrong, that he had no feelings other than friendship for her.But, this time was different.This time they had crossed over the friendship line and he was tired of pretending nothing was wrong.I am about to lose her all over again, he thought sadly.Of course something is wrong.

Caitie rushed to Jamie and enveloped him in a hug.His arms wrapped around her out of habit, and he pulled her close, never really wanting to let go.Everything about her, he would miss.Jamie buried his head in Caitie's hair and breathed in the fresh coconut smell.God, he would miss that too.

"I'll miss you, Jamie," Caitie said into his shirt, and Jamie felt his heart sink.This was really it.She was really leaving.

"I'll miss you too," he replied after a second, his voice thicker than usual.He tightened his grip around her.Jamie knew that if he let go of her, she would leave.She would get in the car and drive away and he would not see her for a very long time.He didn't want to let her go, but he knew that he had to.It's her choice, he reminded himself bitterly.

Jamie felt Caitie start to pull away from him and immediately, he commanded his arms to release her.His brow furrowed as he realized all he was giving up as he let go of her.And he tried to look happy.She has chosen this, he thought as he tried to smile.This is what she wants.

Caitie gave him a quick kiss on the lips before turning back towards her car.She opened the driver's side and climbed in without hesitation.

Jamie finally forced a smile on his lips and moved the couple of steps to stand next to the open car door.He knew that his smile must seem so fake, but there was really noting he could do about it.After all, he felt crappy about the whole situation.

"Call me," Caitie said, turning the car's key in the ignition.

Jamie nodded and thought about how true he would stay to that promise.He would call her a lot.As much as he could.Everyday if possible.Anything to hear her voice.

Jamie watched as one small tear appeared under Caitie's left eye.She wiped at it with her hand quickly as if she did not want him to see it at all.And then she looked back at him."Goodbye Jamie," she whispered.

"Bye," he returned, equally quiet.

And then Caitie shut the door of her car and put the car in gear.Jamie watched as she slowly pulled out of the parking lot of the hotel and started off down the road.A tear from his eye traveled down his cheek, but he did not wipe it away as Caitie had done.He was tired of hiding his feelings.And he wasn't going too anymore.

He stayed right where he was, standing in the middle of the parking lot, until he could no longer see her car.And then he closed his eyes and wished that the pain in him would go away.

Caitie felt the tears run down her face as she traveled down the road.They were coming faster now, meandering their way down her cheeks.She felt awful.She hadn't wanted to leave Jamie at all.

Then why did you?A little voice in the back of her mind asked innocently.Surprisingly, she did not really have an answer for that question.She shook her head and tried to think of all the reasons why she and Jamie could not be together.

"Well, there's the……," she said aloud to herself."And then there's the whole……".But, no matter how hard she tried, Caitie could not finish either of those sentences.What were the reasons again?She thought.

And then she rolled her eyes.What was she doing?She wondered.She was running away from the only person that she had ever fallen in love for.And for what?What was awaiting her back in the city that was so very important?Nothing.Jamie wasn't going to be there.So, nothing there was important.

All Caitie wanted to do was be with Jamie.And it really did not matter to her where they would be together, as long as they were together.

"What am I doing?"Caitie said out loud and then before her mind could change, she made a very illegal U-turn and started back towards the hotel.

Jamie heard the car pull up next to him, but he still did not open his eyes.He was afraid that if he opened his eyes and it wasn't her, he would be sorely disappointed.He imagined the person in the car next to him was probably some lost tourist going to ask him for directions.Nothing more.She's not coming back, Jamie told himself for the hundredth time.But, still he did not open his eyes.He simply waited to hear a voice.

"Jeez, are you _that _tired?"Came the sarcastic tone."I just left you not even five minutes ago and you are already sleeping?!?!And on your feet too!"

Jamie smiled and opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his entire life.Caitie Roth had come back to him.All the sudden he was nervous.His hands shook and he wished with all his might that she would get out of the darn car so that he could kiss her.But, he simply stared at her instead, waiting for her to explain her return.

Caitie read his mind, it seemed.And she tried her best to make light of the situation."Well, you know James, I thought that I might just have to take a look at this camp of yours."She looked at him with a rather false superior look."You know, to make sure you aren't warping young children's minds or anything like that."

Jamie nodded his head, playing along.But, inside he was ecstatic.She wanted to go with him to K's Camp?That was great!"I see," he said, solemnly.

Caitie unbuckled her seatbelt and threw open the door to the car.For a second, Jamie wondered why she was hurrying so much, but then it did not matter.Caitie threw her arms around Jamie and buried her head in his chest.The tears came even quicker now, soaking into his shirt.But, Caitie didn't care.She was where she was supposed to be.She was with who she was supposed to be with.There was so much she wanted to say.She wanted to show him how much he meant to her and how frightened she had been that she would lose him for good.She wanted to show him how happy she was to be back in his arms again.

Caitie looked up at Jamie's eyes, which danced with happiness.He smiled down at her and wiped a tear away from her cheek.There is so much I want to say, she thought in her mind.

And then, as if Jamie had read her mind, he replied, "I know.Me too."And then he kissed her.

………………………………………….

Hank had not slept a wink.He had gone through all the motions- brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas and then had laid in bed.But, sleep had never come.He had spent the night, laying on his back and staring at the dark ceiling of his hotel room.And he had thought long and hard about what he wanted.

The entire weekend had had him question exactly what he wanted to do- not only that morning, but in life.Where exactly was his life going?Hank had always had a plan in his life.Right after high school, his plan had been to go to college and then Med. school.Then, after that, he had worked his butt off to get to the position that he was at.But, now that he was there, what was his plan?This question had kept Hank up the entire night.And he wondered if, since he didn't have a plan for his life, if he was really happy.

Presently, Hank was up and dressed.He sat at the little table in his room, staring at the wall.Thoughts were still rushing around his mind like they had all night.What did he want?Well, he knew the answer to that one.He wanted Melanie.He wanted her to be in his life forever.But, the question became, how would he go about keeping her in his life?

After the dinner the day before, he and Melanie had walked in silence to the bleachers at Kingsport High School.The bleachers held a bit of sentimental value for them, seeing how it was the place they had first kissed.And they had sat there in total silence, holding hands.Both Hank and Melanie had been aware of the problem that the next day would bring.And they had both been aware of the fact that they could possibly lose each other the next day.But, all that had not mattered as they sat on the bleachers together.No, all that had mattered was that they had been together for that moment.Even if they lost each other the next day, they would at least be able to remember that moment on the bleachers.

A scraping sound and a thud outside Hank's door made the thoughts in his head vanish. He looked towards the door, a rather perplexed look on his face.What in the world, he thought as he moved towards the door to his room.He leaned towards the door and placed his ear on the hard wood.The scraping and thudding sounds continued.It seemed to Hank as if they were actually coming from down the hallway a bit.But, Hank thought as he kept on listening, they are getting closer.

He listened as they came nearer to his door.For some reason, Hank did not want to look out his door and see what the source of the sound was.The whole thing was like his own private little mystery.And for just a few seconds, it took his mind off of Melanie for the first time since he had seen her at the beginning of the reunion. 

Suddenly, the scraping sound stopped and one last loud thud resounded in the hallway right outside of Hank's door.He thought he heard a quiet curse following the thud, but he was not too sure.

And then there was a knock on his door.Hank jumped back from the door as if he were a child being caught doing something he knows not to be doing.His heart started to beat rapidly.He stared at the door, wondering who was on the other side.There was no more scraping or thudding sounds to be heard.Just simple silence.

Hank took two deep breaths, hoping to calm himself a bit.He reached for the knob on the door slowly.His fingers closed over the cool metal and Hank braced himself for whatever might be on the other side.Hank turned to knob and pulled the door open slowly.

His eyebrows shot up at what he found in front of his door.Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say _who_ he found in front of his door.

She must have dragged that huge suitcase up the stairs, Hank thought, as he looked her over.

The suitcase in question, which Hank surmised had been making all the noise, was standing on its end.On top of the suitcase was precariously perched the one girl that Hank did not ever want to say goodbye to.

A few strands of her long hair were hanging in her face and she blew out of the corner of her mouth to try to move them without using her hands.Her eyes were narrowed as if she were trying to look determined to get her way.Her arms were folded over her chest as if she were angry.And her legs were crossed as if she were trying to show that she was totally comfortable with the way she sat.

Too bad the suitcase kept shifting and almost spilling her to the floor.

Hank leaned against the door jam and tried not to laugh.If he laughed, she would get flustered.He didn't want her to get flustered.He was enjoying Melanie trying to look angry way too much.

The suitcase shifted again under Melanie's weight and she threw her arms out to stop herself from falling.Hank stifled a chuckle as he watched her reposition the suitcase under her bottom and then resume her angry look- folded arms and all.

"Well, you have—," Melanie started, but the suitcase started to buckle again.Jeez, she thought, this is supposed to be a real _moment_ and this stupid suitcase is ruining everything.She thought she heard a slight snicker come from the direction of Hank and she shot him a dirty look.Then, with as much dignity as she could muster, Melanie fixed the suitcase underneath her and resumed her pose once more.Melanie looked at Hank with a look that she hoped screamed determination.It was hard to do so, though, when she was sure the suitcase would dump her at any minute.

"Well, you have me for the next three weeks since I cleared my schedule for you," she said, happy to get out a whole sentence without the suitcase moving."What are you going to do with me?"

And in that second, everything clicked for Hank.Every question that had been brought to his attention in his mind the night before was suddenly answered.He didn't know where the idea had suddenly come from.And he certainly didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before.But, it made so much sense.It was the perfect way to stay with Melanie forever.

He looked at the girl before him as she struggled to keep her balance on the suitcase.She was still trying to look defiant.And, Hank noticed with a bit of happiness, he could see the old Melanie from high school in her eyes.Hank smiled as he watched her throw out her arms once more to stop herself from falling off the suitcase.Slowly, she readjusted the meddlesome luggage again and then looked up at him, waiting for his answer.Yes, he thought, I know what to do now.

And he only said two words.Two words that would change both of their loves forever.

"Marry me."

For the first time since the beginning of the reunion, Hank realized he had been the one with the surprise.Throughout the reunion, it had been Melanie who had kept surprising him.But, not this time.This time, it was _Melanie's_ eyebrows that shot up at his words.She froze, staring at him in surprise and wonder.

And Hank just grinned as Melanie forgot all about her fight to stay balanced on the suitcase.He could tell that every part of her was focused on him and what he had just said.And he waited because he knew the inevitable would happen.

The suitcase moved a slight bit and Melanie fell on her butt on the floor.

………………………………………

Brooke sat at her desk in the station and smiled.Oh, it truly was a wonderful day.The weather had been so good that morning that she had decided to walk to work instead of drive.And, boy was she glad that she had walked!It had been so warm out.Then, of course, there was what she had seen as she had passed the football stands at Kingsport High on her way to the station.All three of her favorite couples were sitting on the bleachers, talking and laughing away.It made her happy to see such a sight.And, she had noticed with satisfaction, each couple was holding hands.So, my plan worked really well last night, she thought with a smile on her face.

"Brooke?"Alex called from the doorway."So?How did it go last night?"

Brooke smiled and thought about what she had seen at the dinner the day before and then what she had seen on the way to work.All three couples had looked so happy.

Brooke looked at Alex, the devious glint back in her eyes."Mission accomplished," she said.

The End

Well, after fifteen chapters, I figured it was time to end this thing.I hoped everyone liked it.Oh, and would anyone be interested in a sequel?I have ideas for one, but I am not sure whether or not to write anything more on this one.What do you guys think?Please don't forget to review.Thanks! 


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